I'm usually not one to make a New Years Resolution, but I felt it was right this year. I struggled to come up with a New Years Resolution that I could keep. It needed to be something related to language learning. But what, exactly?
Should I vow to get over the hump and become fluent in Spanish? Bring back my dormant French? Finally commit to learning Swedish? Or Cornish? I came up with a solution that solves all of that (potentially). My New Years Resolution is to go back to school and get a language-related degree. I don't know for sure whether that will be linguistics, comparative philology (I don't even think anyone offers that as a degree anymore) or some other degree, but I've made the vow.
I have my school in mind and a back-up if I need it. I'll be spending much of this year preparing myself financially. I've gone to school before while working and it's no fun. I'd like to have a stronger financial base this time so that working won't interfere with school.
You may not be as interested in languages as I am, but you can make a simple resolution to make a commitment to study your target language(s) at least a little every day. Listen to music, read books, read websites, listen to news, study grammars etc. Apply yourself every day. It's a journey of 10,000 steps and each step brings you that much closer to your goal.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Transparent Language Blogs
Transparent Language not only publishes language courses for language learners, but they also provide lots of additional free content. They publish BYKI, which is available in a free 'Lite' version, and also offer a Word of the Day feature for many languages. One new feature they offer is a blog for learners of Spanish. I have found this blog to be very useful, as there is often some vocabulary or idiom explained that I have just seemed to have run across. I also subscribe to their Swedish blog, but find that one a little less useful (so far) but more interesting with lots of tidbits on life in Sweden. They also have blogs for Chinese, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
New Video for Language Learning Advisor.com!
I've found a very cool website where you can produce short and full-length videos. I've tried out a few things on it, it's a great tool. I'm sure I'll come up with tons of ideas for videos, but for now, I've only finished two short videos. Both are just a simple promotional video for the website. I'll have to go open a YouTube account, but for now you can see the first one on my site - http://www.language-learning-advisor.com/language-learning-advisor-news.html
Saturday, December 13, 2008
A Nice Article on Language Learning
I know I don't need to promote the learning of foreign languages to readers of this blog or visitors to the website, but I've just read a short article on the subject that sums up a few points beautifully.
I've been dumbfounded by some people actually being proud of the fact that they only speak English and have no desire to learn another language. This is actually 'pride of their ignorance.' In this article, there is one comment that mentions that the understanding of languages "... has always been, for the last 2,000 years or so, the hallmark of the educated person.”
In addition, those same people usually mention that 'everyone speaks English, so why should I waste time learning another language?' Everone doesn't speak English. It is foolish to think that way. Another comment in the article says "Thinking that all communication should be in English is a sort of cultural and linguistic imperialism.”Amen.
The article also mentions the advantages and difficulties in learning a few key languages - French, German, Russian, Japanese and Arabic. Read more http://ocolly.com/2008/12/02/now-you%E2%80%99re-speaking-my-language/
I've been dumbfounded by some people actually being proud of the fact that they only speak English and have no desire to learn another language. This is actually 'pride of their ignorance.' In this article, there is one comment that mentions that the understanding of languages "... has always been, for the last 2,000 years or so, the hallmark of the educated person.”
In addition, those same people usually mention that 'everyone speaks English, so why should I waste time learning another language?' Everone doesn't speak English. It is foolish to think that way. Another comment in the article says "Thinking that all communication should be in English is a sort of cultural and linguistic imperialism.”Amen.
The article also mentions the advantages and difficulties in learning a few key languages - French, German, Russian, Japanese and Arabic. Read more http://ocolly.com/2008/12/02/now-you%E2%80%99re-speaking-my-language/
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
LivingSpanish.com
One great thing about having a growing website is that people will actually contact me and inform me about websites, services and products that I haven't discovered yet. I was recenty contacted by http://www.livingspanish.com, a site for learning Spanish.
While there are tons of sites to learn Spanish, this one has a few qualities which make it a little unique. They have many of the same features of other language learning sites, but their approach is very practical and includes a real understanding of the everyday needs of the language learner. Their good sense of humor, use of slang and pop culture (like in their Word of the Day feature) stands out a little form other sites. I like their approach and I hope they are successful.
While there are tons of sites to learn Spanish, this one has a few qualities which make it a little unique. They have many of the same features of other language learning sites, but their approach is very practical and includes a real understanding of the everyday needs of the language learner. Their good sense of humor, use of slang and pop culture (like in their Word of the Day feature) stands out a little form other sites. I like their approach and I hope they are successful.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
iKnow.com
iknow.co is a language learning community for learning Japanese (or for Japanese learning English), but has plans to expand to many more languages. Most of the features are fleshed for learning Japanese (courses, wordlists etc) but they claim their learning tools will be helpful in learning 188 languages.
Included in these features are courses, personalized wordlists which can be shared with other users, a vocabulary tool, and a game called Brainspeed to test your vocabulary retention which can actually be played on your Wii!
This is another of a wave of language learning communities that are sweeping the interent and I just read of one more that will be coming out of beta soon.
I don't know how many more of these language communities can co-exist on the internet. There are already so many of them, the market might be getting saturated. We've already seen that Friendsabroad is being absorbed into Babbel, and others are for sale. Which one will be next?
Included in these features are courses, personalized wordlists which can be shared with other users, a vocabulary tool, and a game called Brainspeed to test your vocabulary retention which can actually be played on your Wii!
This is another of a wave of language learning communities that are sweeping the interent and I just read of one more that will be coming out of beta soon.
I don't know how many more of these language communities can co-exist on the internet. There are already so many of them, the market might be getting saturated. We've already seen that Friendsabroad is being absorbed into Babbel, and others are for sale. Which one will be next?
Thursday, December 04, 2008
A Few Pimsleur Updates
Here are just a few updates on Pimsleur. Simon and Schuster has been consistently expanding their product line. Hungarian I (Comprehensive), Romanian I (Comprehensive) and Greek II are all recent additions.
When they finally add a comprehensive level product for a language, they also add a Quick and Simple or Basic level product (the first 8 lessons of Comprehensive) and an Instant Conversation (the first 16 lessons of comprehensive). The Instant Conversation is usually for a pretty good price considering for about $50 you get half of the $200+ Comprehensive set. But, if you want that full 30 lessons, you have to pay for it. That's why I think Instant Conversation is a (relatively) cost-effective intro to the language and the Pimsleur method.
Upcoming Comprehensive products include Croatian (Jan 2009), Eastern Arabic III (May 2009) and Hebrew III (July 2009).Here is a link to another reviewers thought son Pimsleur Spanish : http://gearheart.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/learn-spanish-with-pimsleur-a-review/
When they finally add a comprehensive level product for a language, they also add a Quick and Simple or Basic level product (the first 8 lessons of Comprehensive) and an Instant Conversation (the first 16 lessons of comprehensive). The Instant Conversation is usually for a pretty good price considering for about $50 you get half of the $200+ Comprehensive set. But, if you want that full 30 lessons, you have to pay for it. That's why I think Instant Conversation is a (relatively) cost-effective intro to the language and the Pimsleur method.
Upcoming Comprehensive products include Croatian (Jan 2009), Eastern Arabic III (May 2009) and Hebrew III (July 2009).Here is a link to another reviewers thought son Pimsleur Spanish : http://gearheart.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/learn-spanish-with-pimsleur-a-review/
Monday, December 01, 2008
Rosetta Stone Version 3
Rosetta Stones new Version 3 has been out for many months already. At first, only the 'major' languages were released in the newer version. But, I see now that many of the other, less commonly learned languages, have also been upgraded.
I was excited to see that Farsi, Dutch and Swedish have been released in Version 3. And I must point out that all languages that are released in V3 are complete to all 3 levels. So that means that Rosetta Stone goes as far for Swedish as it does for German or French! That's a big deal, because all too often language learning products are produced for the major languages that go into intermediate and advanced levels of learning, but for those less commonly spoken languages barely get past the basics, if they make anything at all.
The only reason companies do this is because it is simply not very profitable to invest in developing a product that won't sell as much as another. And Rosetta Stone has been guilty of this as well. I found it infuriating that there was only a level 1 for Swedish, but 2 or 3 levels for other languages. Even now, they have not upgraded their Danish, Thai, Welsh and some other courses. It looks like they will upgrade those as well, but I haven't seen any information on that.
I still don't have a copy of a version 3 Rosetta Stone product. I'd like to get my hands on one in order to spend some time with it and do a proper review. When the opportunity presents itself, I'll share my experience with it.
I was excited to see that Farsi, Dutch and Swedish have been released in Version 3. And I must point out that all languages that are released in V3 are complete to all 3 levels. So that means that Rosetta Stone goes as far for Swedish as it does for German or French! That's a big deal, because all too often language learning products are produced for the major languages that go into intermediate and advanced levels of learning, but for those less commonly spoken languages barely get past the basics, if they make anything at all.
The only reason companies do this is because it is simply not very profitable to invest in developing a product that won't sell as much as another. And Rosetta Stone has been guilty of this as well. I found it infuriating that there was only a level 1 for Swedish, but 2 or 3 levels for other languages. Even now, they have not upgraded their Danish, Thai, Welsh and some other courses. It looks like they will upgrade those as well, but I haven't seen any information on that.
I still don't have a copy of a version 3 Rosetta Stone product. I'd like to get my hands on one in order to spend some time with it and do a proper review. When the opportunity presents itself, I'll share my experience with it.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Give a Language Course for a Holiday Gift!
Wondering what gifts to give this holiday season? How about the gift of language? We all know someone who could benefit from a language course. Know any students or anyone planning a trip abroad in the next year? You could even find a few things you want yourself and start dropping some hints. I make a list every year!
I have been raving about Tell Me More Performance level products since I first received Tell Me More German Performance earlier this year. For this weekend only Tell Me More is offering an exclusive discount of 15% off all products! Click the link above for more information.
I have been raving about Tell Me More Performance level products since I first received Tell Me More German Performance earlier this year. For this weekend only Tell Me More is offering an exclusive discount of 15% off all products! Click the link above for more information.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Hawaiian Language
I've added a few much-needed resources to the Hawaiian page. The Kulaiwi link is a great resource, especially for a language like Hawaiian that has so few learning resources available. This site has 30 hour-long videos on learning Hawaiian, with pdf transcripts of the first few episodes and even a workbook. All this is available for free.
The state of the Hawaiian language appears quite good. From near-death only a few decades ago, a campaign of rebuilding confidence in the language is really taking root. The effort should be a model for other endangered languages. They have been focusing on teaching children in bilingual and even full immersion settings and it is working wonderfully. The children have really taken the Hawaiian language as their own and it's the parents and adults who are trying to keep up! That bodes well for the future of Hawaiian.
The state of the Hawaiian language appears quite good. From near-death only a few decades ago, a campaign of rebuilding confidence in the language is really taking root. The effort should be a model for other endangered languages. They have been focusing on teaching children in bilingual and even full immersion settings and it is working wonderfully. The children have really taken the Hawaiian language as their own and it's the parents and adults who are trying to keep up! That bodes well for the future of Hawaiian.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Friendsabroad Acquired by Babbel
I just read that Friendsabroad.com has been acquired by Babbel.com. It sounds like Friendsabroad will be disappearing, and any accounts should be transferred to Babbel within the next 6 months. Friendsabroad will continue to function during that time.
I have just transferred my account and briefly checked out Babbel for the first time. I find Babbel to be similar to Lingq (I seem to be comparing everything to Lingq these days!) I like Lingq better, especially since it has been recently restructured. Actually I like Friendsabroad as it is, but I guess I'll have to get over it if it is going to be phased out.
I don't know if Babbel will be adopting Friendsabroads features, it doesn't sound like it. Babbel includes support for those learning English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. Friendsabroad mentions that it has members learning 80 languages. What happens to the other 75 languages in Babbel? It is unclear if accomodations are going to be made for people learning those languages.
I have just transferred my account and briefly checked out Babbel for the first time. I find Babbel to be similar to Lingq (I seem to be comparing everything to Lingq these days!) I like Lingq better, especially since it has been recently restructured. Actually I like Friendsabroad as it is, but I guess I'll have to get over it if it is going to be phased out.
I don't know if Babbel will be adopting Friendsabroads features, it doesn't sound like it. Babbel includes support for those learning English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. Friendsabroad mentions that it has members learning 80 languages. What happens to the other 75 languages in Babbel? It is unclear if accomodations are going to be made for people learning those languages.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Computer Problems
I am having ongoing computer problems with my main work computer which has caused me to completely wipe the hard drive. I archived as much as I could, but there are a whole bunch of things that I will have to recover from sources on the internet or wave goodbye to. I'll also have to reinstall lots of software - Tell Me More, BYKI, Rosetta Stone, a few Transparent Language programs, Ergane. I've lost a downloaded multilingual dictionary program that I can't find the license for. I didn't have time to archive a bunch of podcasts that at least I can get for free, but it will take time getting them back. This, of course, takes away time I could be spending working on my sites or studying something. I'm sure you all know my pain.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Dominant Languages
I just read a very interesting article on learning 'dominant languages.'
The author talks about two distinctly different definitions of 'dominant languages' but the one which interested me was the linguists definition - languages that demand learners speak them perfectly. He mentions that French and Thai fit that definition and that English and Italian most definitely do not.
It fascinates me that people consider English a hard language to learn. Not that I disagree, but I always like to qualify that with 'hard to learn to a high degree' and yet 'easy to speak badly.' Having grown up in New York, I've heard all manner of bad English spoken by foreigners over the years and my ears are attuned to it. This is what the author means when he says that English is not a dominant language (by this definition) - it doesn't demand much perfection from the learner.
The opposite is French, which demands that people make a real effort to speak French properly and with a correct accent. But is it the language that demands this or the culture behind it? The French have always struggled to define themselves as separate and distinct from everyone else and refuse to allow anyone else to define them.
British and American culture is quite different, much more fluid, changing with different influences over the centuries. And I believe this is reflected in the English language native to those countries.
The culture that defines the language sets the standards for it. The cultures that define the English language require it to be ever-changing and adaptable. And this is what puts English at the top of the heap under the other definition of 'dominant language,' that of the sociologist - a language that supersedes others or drives them to extinction. And that is an apt description of English today.
Read this interesting article at http://brooklynmonk.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/the-trials-of-learning-a-dominant-language/
The author talks about two distinctly different definitions of 'dominant languages' but the one which interested me was the linguists definition - languages that demand learners speak them perfectly. He mentions that French and Thai fit that definition and that English and Italian most definitely do not.
It fascinates me that people consider English a hard language to learn. Not that I disagree, but I always like to qualify that with 'hard to learn to a high degree' and yet 'easy to speak badly.' Having grown up in New York, I've heard all manner of bad English spoken by foreigners over the years and my ears are attuned to it. This is what the author means when he says that English is not a dominant language (by this definition) - it doesn't demand much perfection from the learner.
The opposite is French, which demands that people make a real effort to speak French properly and with a correct accent. But is it the language that demands this or the culture behind it? The French have always struggled to define themselves as separate and distinct from everyone else and refuse to allow anyone else to define them.
British and American culture is quite different, much more fluid, changing with different influences over the centuries. And I believe this is reflected in the English language native to those countries.
The culture that defines the language sets the standards for it. The cultures that define the English language require it to be ever-changing and adaptable. And this is what puts English at the top of the heap under the other definition of 'dominant language,' that of the sociologist - a language that supersedes others or drives them to extinction. And that is an apt description of English today.
Read this interesting article at http://brooklynmonk.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/the-trials-of-learning-a-dominant-language/
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wordchamp
I don't think I have mentioned Wordchamp before, and I'm not even sure if I have checked it out myself before now. Wordchamp is a site for language learners and teachers, with tools to help teachers organize their lessons and track their students progress, and has some features for students as well. There is an SRS flashcard feature, a webreader and extensive analytical tools to track your stats and progress.
I find the site similar to Lingq in some ways, but for the most part, it stands apart. Used in conjunction with other sites or language methods, its features could be very complementary. The webreader is interesting, allowing you to read websites in foreign languages and highlight words for their definitions. An SRS (Spaced Repetition System) Flashcard feature is almost essential for any language learner.
I find the site similar to Lingq in some ways, but for the most part, it stands apart. Used in conjunction with other sites or language methods, its features could be very complementary. The webreader is interesting, allowing you to read websites in foreign languages and highlight words for their definitions. An SRS (Spaced Repetition System) Flashcard feature is almost essential for any language learner.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Tell Me More Review
One thing I like to do before I write a review is actually use the product to get a good feel for how it works. I find that most reviewers only give it a cursory 'once over.' This is not really enough to get familiar with most products. So, as I have been working with Tell Me More German Performance for several months (on and off - unfortunately I can't give it the time it really deserves), I finally have enough experience with it that I feel I can write an adequate review.
I have found it to be the best language learning program available to date! The amount of material for learners (especially at the intermediate level) is outstanding and the extras are great. Tell Me More Performance is far and away the best software solution for learning a language.
The actual program runs beautifully, but will require a newer computer, it's pretty powerful and it's not cheap. The features include lots of audio, grammar, dialogues, pronunciation practice, role-playing, games and excercises, video, assessment tests, online support and more.
Read my Review of Tell Me More.
I have found it to be the best language learning program available to date! The amount of material for learners (especially at the intermediate level) is outstanding and the extras are great. Tell Me More Performance is far and away the best software solution for learning a language.
The actual program runs beautifully, but will require a newer computer, it's pretty powerful and it's not cheap. The features include lots of audio, grammar, dialogues, pronunciation practice, role-playing, games and excercises, video, assessment tests, online support and more.
Read my Review of Tell Me More.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Changing Pimsleur Affiliates
As I mentioned about Amazon a few posts ago, I am in the process of revamping the business side of my website. I am changing Pimsleur affiliates (again). While it is my favorite language method, I have had a very hard time as a website owner in finding a reliable Pimsleur merchant to work with. By reliable, I mean not just reliability and good prices for the customer (which hasn't really been a problem), but also ease of working with them for me as a business owner. One seller of Pimsleur that I have known of for a while is Catees Language World. They are completely dedicated to Pimsleur products and provide just about the best prices you can find on the internet. The changeover will be mostly transparent to visitors and I don't anticipate any problems at all for customers.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Spanish in Miami
My girlfriend and I just took a daytrip to Miami. I was very impressed with the number of people there who speak Spanish, including non-Hispanics. Several times, someone came up to us, assumed we spoke Spanish and just started talking. I responded as best I could, but soon lamented the fact that I get very little practice with 'real live' Spanish, and especially with such a variety. In just one location (around Coral Gables, if you must know) I heard 3 or 4 distinct accents. If I could live in a location like that, my Spanish would be vastly improved in no time. If you ever get a chance to go there, have your Spanish handy and prepare to have it tested!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Scary Languages
I remember a conversation once centered around 'scary languages.' I think the topic at hand was how some languages sound 'scary' while others don't. The examples I can remember are :
German - perhaps reminds people of the Germany of WWI or WWII. I think German accents were used a lot in older horror movies (think 1940's and 50's).
Russian - people think of Cold-War era Soviet Union and spies.
Czech or Romanian - stirs up some vague associations with vampires.
Aha! A possible segue into a Halloween theme! In honor of Halloween and 'scary languages' I added a Romanian page on the site. Go learn some scary language and frighten your neighbors on Halloween.
German - perhaps reminds people of the Germany of WWI or WWII. I think German accents were used a lot in older horror movies (think 1940's and 50's).
Russian - people think of Cold-War era Soviet Union and spies.
Czech or Romanian - stirs up some vague associations with vampires.
Aha! A possible segue into a Halloween theme! In honor of Halloween and 'scary languages' I added a Romanian page on the site. Go learn some scary language and frighten your neighbors on Halloween.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sharedtalk
There are many Language Community sites that have excellent features for motivated language learners. SharedTalk.com is one I have only briefly mentioned before. It is backed by none other than Rosetta Stone. Several other sites in this category also have backers with deep pockets (Mango Languages, Linq, Friendsabroad come to mind). This is to our advantage as language learners.
More sites with great features means competition - they are competing for us. We benefit from this competition! But it also means that eventually, we will probably have to pay for many of these great features. That means we need to take advantage of what these sites have to offer now. Find 1 or 2 that you like and use them as much as possible. I'm sure that in time you will find them indispensible and you will wonder why you never used them before!
More sites with great features means competition - they are competing for us. We benefit from this competition! But it also means that eventually, we will probably have to pay for many of these great features. That means we need to take advantage of what these sites have to offer now. Find 1 or 2 that you like and use them as much as possible. I'm sure that in time you will find them indispensible and you will wonder why you never used them before!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Rwanda Drops French, Moves Closer to English
The nation of Rwanda is dropping the French language from its curriculum and from official use in favor of English. This is a result of some points of contention between Rwandans and France. The French had once trained or armed some of those who ultimately committed acts of genocide in that country. Many Rwandans harbor some ill feelings toward the French and this has resulted in the desire to shed 'all things French' including the French language, which had long been part of Rwandan culture.
More and more countries in Africa have been adopting English as an international language. In some cases (like Nigeria) English is even used as a unifying language where there are dozens of indigenous languages. Ultimately this gives Africans the ability to compete on the international stage. As language learners, there are many Africans in an advantaged position, as they learn their native language (or 2) and 2 or 3 local, regional or international languages.
More and more countries in Africa have been adopting English as an international language. In some cases (like Nigeria) English is even used as a unifying language where there are dozens of indigenous languages. Ultimately this gives Africans the ability to compete on the international stage. As language learners, there are many Africans in an advantaged position, as they learn their native language (or 2) and 2 or 3 local, regional or international languages.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Amazon Affiliation
If you are a regular visitor to the site, you may have noticed that I have been adding Amazon links for some books and audio language products. I have always had links to a bookseller on the site (Barnes and Noble, Buy.com) but for one reason or another had to change affiliates. I try my best to link only to reputable merchants with good prices, but they also need to be easy to work with. Amazon offers the widest possible range of products, reliability, a high level of customer service, brand recognition and they are easy for me to work with and integrate into my site. And let's face it, everyone has an Amazon account! So, rest assured that when you click a link on my site to purchase anything or just to learn more about something it is to a safe and reputable site or merchant like Amazon.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Rosetta Stone IPO
While doing some investment research, I came across a filing by none other than Rosetta Stone. Apparently they are looking to go public. The process could take several months so I don't think a Rosetta Stone stock is imminent just yet. This does shed some light on some of Rosetta Stones actions in recent months - pulling software out of public libraries, high profile projects like the Michael Phelps commercial etc. I guess they are gearing up for their IPO.
But, it seems like a strange time for an IPO. The IPO market is dry as a bone and it's a terrible investing climate. Not to mention strange timing for Rosetta Stone itself. They state right in their filing that a large percentage of their sales come during the holiday season. This is expected to be one of the weakest holiday seasons in decades. It's a little risky right now. They are in the right market and have the right products for long-term growth, but keep a close eye on this before you buy.
But, it seems like a strange time for an IPO. The IPO market is dry as a bone and it's a terrible investing climate. Not to mention strange timing for Rosetta Stone itself. They state right in their filing that a large percentage of their sales come during the holiday season. This is expected to be one of the weakest holiday seasons in decades. It's a little risky right now. They are in the right market and have the right products for long-term growth, but keep a close eye on this before you buy.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A Few French Resources
I have been looking for more information and opinions on Tell Me More around the internet. Not that I need anyone elses opinion of this great software, but I'm surprised there hasn't been a little more buzz about their new Performance level products. It is underrated and deserving of a lot more attention. I did find this review of Tell Me More French Performance.
Speaking of underrated, RFI (Radio France Internationale) Internationale) has some great resources for intermediate learners of French. They actively promote learning French and produce audio material with the French learner in mind. They have news programs, interviews and lots more in easy French with accompanying transcripts and listening comprehension exercises. It's a great resource after you have mastered the basics and you're ready for some real-world French!
Speaking of underrated, RFI (Radio France Internationale) Internationale) has some great resources for intermediate learners of French. They actively promote learning French and produce audio material with the French learner in mind. They have news programs, interviews and lots more in easy French with accompanying transcripts and listening comprehension exercises. It's a great resource after you have mastered the basics and you're ready for some real-world French!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Top 10 Language Podcasts
Lexiophiles has named a Top 10 Language Podcast list. These guys are great for compiling the best of the bunch in language websites, blogs, podcasts and resources. While it's interesting, the real value here is viewing the complete list that they used as their starting point. It's chock full of great language podcasts, some for less commonly learned languages like Polish or Turkish. Here is the full list of 85 language podcasts:
http://www.lexiophiles.com/language-podcasts-toplist/the-whole-podcast-list
http://www.lexiophiles.com/language-podcasts-toplist/the-whole-podcast-list
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Pimsleur Norwegian
Pimsleur Norwegian Comprehensive is a more recent addition to the Pimsleur line. I hit some snags, but eventually I was able to add the first lesson of Pimsleur Norwegian on the Learn Norwegian page.
Since I have been talking so much lately about Michel Thomas, I thought I'd point out a homemade Michel Thomas-style course for Norwegian. A frequent visitor and poster on www.How-to-learn-any-language.com started putting together the course. Here is a link to a discussion of the mini-course with links to the audio :
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11542&PN=2&TPN=1
Since I have been talking so much lately about Michel Thomas, I thought I'd point out a homemade Michel Thomas-style course for Norwegian. A frequent visitor and poster on www.How-to-learn-any-language.com started putting together the course. Here is a link to a discussion of the mini-course with links to the audio :
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11542&PN=2&TPN=1
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Michel Thomas Spanish
After I had written that Michel Thomas update a few days ago, I took out my copy of Michel Thomas Spanish and started uploading to my iPod. After listening to the first two cds (which I have seen sold as an 'Introductory'course) I can now give my initial impressions of the course.
It was as I had remembered it to be a few years ago, when I listened to the first few lessons. I recall not liking having the other two 'students' on the cd perhaps taking up time away from my learning, but I quickly accepted that and got over it. Eventually I found it to be my way of buying time to come up with the answer, rather than hitting the pause button as the introduction suggests you should do. (I listen while driving to and from work, so looking down at the pause and play buttons while driving isn't a good idea!)
At this point, the material being studied is quite easy for me, but I am impressed with the method. He does an excellent job of breaking down the language into simple bite-sized chunks that a beginner can get a hold of. I am quite impressed with the complexity of sentences that complete beginners can make within just a few minutes of listening. He builds an intuitive understanding of word-order and sentence formation that blows away most other methods.
I will keep going with the course and post regular updates. Anyone else try Michel Thomas? I am interested to hear your comments!
It was as I had remembered it to be a few years ago, when I listened to the first few lessons. I recall not liking having the other two 'students' on the cd perhaps taking up time away from my learning, but I quickly accepted that and got over it. Eventually I found it to be my way of buying time to come up with the answer, rather than hitting the pause button as the introduction suggests you should do. (I listen while driving to and from work, so looking down at the pause and play buttons while driving isn't a good idea!)
At this point, the material being studied is quite easy for me, but I am impressed with the method. He does an excellent job of breaking down the language into simple bite-sized chunks that a beginner can get a hold of. I am quite impressed with the complexity of sentences that complete beginners can make within just a few minutes of listening. He builds an intuitive understanding of word-order and sentence formation that blows away most other methods.
I will keep going with the course and post regular updates. Anyone else try Michel Thomas? I am interested to hear your comments!
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Michel Thomas Update
I talked about the Michel Thomas method a few weeks ago. Since then I have done some more research on his method.
Michel Thomas himself recorded courses for French, Spanish, Italian and German. For each of these languages there is an 8 cd Foundation course, a 5 cd advanced course and a 2 cd language builder course. I believe there is also a vocabulary course as well.
Since Michel Thomas has died, there have been several more languages added. Using his technique, Foundation and Advanced courses for Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and Russian were released, and vocabulary courses are scheduled for release in 2009.
They are now aggressively adding languages and courses. Foundation courses have been released for Dutch, Portuguese, Japanese and Polish, with Advanced courses for each of these languages scheduled for release within the next year, along with a Greek Foundation and Advanced course.
These new additions are exciting. I actually have the courses (all of them I think) for Spanish, Italian, French and German, but have never yet given them a decent listen. I will start with Spanish since it is the language freshest in my mind, so at least I can see how Michel Thomas works in detail.
A reader of the blog actually tipped me off to the release of the Dutch course, which really has me excited about the Michel Thomas method (thanks Alan!), and the recent rapid expansion of Michel Thomas courses. I'll work through the Spanish courses, and if I really like it I'll get the Dutch course. But I have to time it just right - if I finish it too soon before the Dutch Advanced course comes out in January, I'll go nuts for too long waiting for it to be released!
Michel Thomas himself recorded courses for French, Spanish, Italian and German. For each of these languages there is an 8 cd Foundation course, a 5 cd advanced course and a 2 cd language builder course. I believe there is also a vocabulary course as well.
Since Michel Thomas has died, there have been several more languages added. Using his technique, Foundation and Advanced courses for Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and Russian were released, and vocabulary courses are scheduled for release in 2009.
They are now aggressively adding languages and courses. Foundation courses have been released for Dutch, Portuguese, Japanese and Polish, with Advanced courses for each of these languages scheduled for release within the next year, along with a Greek Foundation and Advanced course.
These new additions are exciting. I actually have the courses (all of them I think) for Spanish, Italian, French and German, but have never yet given them a decent listen. I will start with Spanish since it is the language freshest in my mind, so at least I can see how Michel Thomas works in detail.
A reader of the blog actually tipped me off to the release of the Dutch course, which really has me excited about the Michel Thomas method (thanks Alan!), and the recent rapid expansion of Michel Thomas courses. I'll work through the Spanish courses, and if I really like it I'll get the Dutch course. But I have to time it just right - if I finish it too soon before the Dutch Advanced course comes out in January, I'll go nuts for too long waiting for it to be released!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Digital Recorder Time
I recently bought a handheld digital recorder. I have wanted one for a long time for recording things (I am a musician as well as a language enthusiast) so I went ahead and got it. What mostly prompted me to finally get it was a Dutch-speaking coworker. I only work with her once a month or so, and I can never remember the nuances of the Dutch pronunciation when she teaches me something (and it's always something a little odd - something you won't see in books and published courses!) I also thought how handy it would be in the EPCOT World Showcase that I wrote about a few days ago.
I have heard of people really building up nice libraries of recordings. I have to learn how to get the best quality sound out of it and then I have to remember to take it with me wherever I go. You never know when you could meet up with a native speaker to record!
I have heard of people really building up nice libraries of recordings. I have to learn how to get the best quality sound out of it and then I have to remember to take it with me wherever I go. You never know when you could meet up with a native speaker to record!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Livemocha Updates
Livemocha has been updating their site. In addition to adding features, they have added support for learners of two more languages - Arabic and Korean. They already had an impressive list of languages. In addition to the usual English, French, Spanish, German and Italian, they also have resources for learners of Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian and even Hindi and Icelandic!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
300 Pages on language Learning Advisor
I've passed a milestone I wondered if I would ever see. Language-Learning-Advisor.com now has over 300 pages of material.
A large part of the recent growth has been the participation of visitors, and for that I am very grateful. Thanks to everyone who has added their reviews and opinions to the site. The feedback that I get demonstrates that visitors highly value the opinions of other language learners and their experiences. I will continue to add ways for visitors to contribute.
I have no shortage of potential new material or ideas to add to the site. Enough for 300 pages more. There are dozens (even hundreds!) of languages that deserve their own pages that I have planned, new visitor contribution pages, reviews, featured resources and language learning tools, and even a podcast series!
What I lack is time. I would like to make the site (and my other online ventures) my full-time job, but that isn't possible right now. I just have to make-do with the limited time I have, maintain the site, and add new material as best I can. I hope I have helped language learners in some way achieve their goals a little easier or faster and I hope I can continue to do that in the future.
Thanks again to everyone who listens to my ranting!
A large part of the recent growth has been the participation of visitors, and for that I am very grateful. Thanks to everyone who has added their reviews and opinions to the site. The feedback that I get demonstrates that visitors highly value the opinions of other language learners and their experiences. I will continue to add ways for visitors to contribute.
I have no shortage of potential new material or ideas to add to the site. Enough for 300 pages more. There are dozens (even hundreds!) of languages that deserve their own pages that I have planned, new visitor contribution pages, reviews, featured resources and language learning tools, and even a podcast series!
What I lack is time. I would like to make the site (and my other online ventures) my full-time job, but that isn't possible right now. I just have to make-do with the limited time I have, maintain the site, and add new material as best I can. I hope I have helped language learners in some way achieve their goals a little easier or faster and I hope I can continue to do that in the future.
Thanks again to everyone who listens to my ranting!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Languages in EPCOT
I want to talk about something I did earlier in the summer that I failed to mention. My girlfriend and I went to Disneys EPCOT Center on my birthday in May this year. We had both been there before and wanted to go back. We needed a day to get away and my birthday seemed like a good enough excuse.
One part of EPCOT is the World Showcase, and this is the main reason we wanted to go. There is a large lake surrounded by a long pathway. Along this path are various 'countries.' In each country there are a few buildings which house a ride or show, a restaurant or cafe and a gift shop or two. All the gifts and food are representative of each country. It's neat, although it hasn't really changed in the 20 + years since I was there last.
So, in Mexico you enter an Aztec-style pyramid and find vendors selling Mexican goods, little shops with books and knick-knacks and a Mexican restaurant. All while looking at a backdrop of a volcano. And of course, all the employees and cooks are from Mexico.
Aha! Now you see where I'm going. Native speakers! Now, here in the US, finding native speakers of Spanish is not hard. But for someone learning a language, you won't find friendlier and more agreeable fodder on whom to practice than Disney employees!
Now, for the language hobbyist or budding polyglot, this World Showcase can be a lot of extra fun. Imagine getting a breakfast snack in Norway, shopping in Germany and Mexico, lunch in China, some more shopping in Italy and France, dinner in Japan, and then a stroll through the bazaars of Morocco. And you will have friendly and helpful native speakers of each language at each step of the way!
There are a few glaring omissions. No India or Russia. Nothing from South America or Sub-Saharan Africa. But there is a great opportunity to practice even a few phrases of any of these languages. If you ever have the opportunity, check this out.
One part of EPCOT is the World Showcase, and this is the main reason we wanted to go. There is a large lake surrounded by a long pathway. Along this path are various 'countries.' In each country there are a few buildings which house a ride or show, a restaurant or cafe and a gift shop or two. All the gifts and food are representative of each country. It's neat, although it hasn't really changed in the 20 + years since I was there last.
So, in Mexico you enter an Aztec-style pyramid and find vendors selling Mexican goods, little shops with books and knick-knacks and a Mexican restaurant. All while looking at a backdrop of a volcano. And of course, all the employees and cooks are from Mexico.
Aha! Now you see where I'm going. Native speakers! Now, here in the US, finding native speakers of Spanish is not hard. But for someone learning a language, you won't find friendlier and more agreeable fodder on whom to practice than Disney employees!
Now, for the language hobbyist or budding polyglot, this World Showcase can be a lot of extra fun. Imagine getting a breakfast snack in Norway, shopping in Germany and Mexico, lunch in China, some more shopping in Italy and France, dinner in Japan, and then a stroll through the bazaars of Morocco. And you will have friendly and helpful native speakers of each language at each step of the way!
There are a few glaring omissions. No India or Russia. Nothing from South America or Sub-Saharan Africa. But there is a great opportunity to practice even a few phrases of any of these languages. If you ever have the opportunity, check this out.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Language Communities
There are a growing number of language community sites on the internet. I know I've mentioned Lingq and Livemocha before. Mango Languages is another such site that comes highly recommended.
These 'language community' sites have lots of features for language learners. There are tutorials, lots of audio, podcasts, ways to track your progress as you learn and interactions with teachers and other language learners. Most have plenty of free resources and features, but reserve upgraded features for a fee.
The lines can be very blurry as to what constitutes a 'language community' from a 'language exchange' site or even a tutorial, penpal site or forum. Take a close look at as many sites as possible to get a feel for them and what they offer. Choose one or two that most interest you or you can best fit into your study routine. These sites, when used properly and diligently, can form the core of your study for a long time.
These 'language community' sites have lots of features for language learners. There are tutorials, lots of audio, podcasts, ways to track your progress as you learn and interactions with teachers and other language learners. Most have plenty of free resources and features, but reserve upgraded features for a fee.
The lines can be very blurry as to what constitutes a 'language community' from a 'language exchange' site or even a tutorial, penpal site or forum. Take a close look at as many sites as possible to get a feel for them and what they offer. Choose one or two that most interest you or you can best fit into your study routine. These sites, when used properly and diligently, can form the core of your study for a long time.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
French Review
The Language Reviews page is growing too big. So, I've begun to spin off review pages for specific languages. I already had enough reviews of French for its own page so the first is the French Reviews page. If you haven't already, why not write a review of the languages that interest you!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Language Penpals
I've made a few changes to the Language Penpal Resources page. There were a few defunkt language penpal sites that I've removed and I'm adding several more. Actually, since there are more and more of these resources all of the time, I may be restructuring all of these links onto several pages. I haven't updated this page in a long time and it's overdue. There are some great penpal and language exchange resources on the internet and I hope you are using a couple of them as part of your language learning strategy.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Standard Cornish Spelling
A few months ago the leaders of the Cornish community finally adopted a standard written form for the Cornish language. It will allow for a few variations but overall it standardizes a language that up until now had about four different written versions. It will remain in effect and be re-evaluated in 5 years time.
This is a big move forward for the Cornish language. It means the squabbling over spelling differences can be set aside and the community can rally around their common language. They can now have standard street signs, learning materials, newspapers and other publications, etc.
I have found the different spellings difficult and I have been looking forward to this. While researching the new changes I came across this site with news and podcasts in Cornish :
http://www.magakernow.org.uk/
This is a big move forward for the Cornish language. It means the squabbling over spelling differences can be set aside and the community can rally around their common language. They can now have standard street signs, learning materials, newspapers and other publications, etc.
I have found the different spellings difficult and I have been looking forward to this. While researching the new changes I came across this site with news and podcasts in Cornish :
http://www.magakernow.org.uk/
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Michel Thomas
There is a new book out about Michel Thomas and his language learning method. Read this article about him and the book. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/02/languages.schools
His method is interesting. He essentially breaks down a language and then teaches how to construct sentences with its components. By using a lot of 'pattern recognition' the student quickly applies what is learned. He also uses a lot of cognates with English in order to help the student get into the language a bit.
His published audio method gets some flak for a few reasons. One, his audio course is just himself sitting down with two students and teaching them with his method as we listen in and participate as a third student. Some people criticize this technique as slowing things down (as we listen to the other student fumble on something we have no trouble with, for example) or wasting time better suited to focusing on the listener.
Another complaint is the fact that he himself is not a native speaker of any of the languages he teaches. Therefore, his accent (Polish, I believe) muddies up our pronunciation. We are learning a Polish accented French or Spanish!
I think that, like any other language method, I would recommend using a Michel Thomas course supplemented with another course (or two) that would nullify those problems. I think his course can be a very effective way to learn how to be functional in a language.
Michel Thomas himself only made courses for French, Spanish, Italian and German. Recently however, courses have been made using his techniques for Russian, Arabic and Chinese. I would hope that more languages would be coming. I would love to have Swedish or Dutch but I won't hold my breath!
See this BBC video on his fascinating life and teaching method. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ3xvL22hLE
His method is interesting. He essentially breaks down a language and then teaches how to construct sentences with its components. By using a lot of 'pattern recognition' the student quickly applies what is learned. He also uses a lot of cognates with English in order to help the student get into the language a bit.
His published audio method gets some flak for a few reasons. One, his audio course is just himself sitting down with two students and teaching them with his method as we listen in and participate as a third student. Some people criticize this technique as slowing things down (as we listen to the other student fumble on something we have no trouble with, for example) or wasting time better suited to focusing on the listener.
Another complaint is the fact that he himself is not a native speaker of any of the languages he teaches. Therefore, his accent (Polish, I believe) muddies up our pronunciation. We are learning a Polish accented French or Spanish!
I think that, like any other language method, I would recommend using a Michel Thomas course supplemented with another course (or two) that would nullify those problems. I think his course can be a very effective way to learn how to be functional in a language.
Michel Thomas himself only made courses for French, Spanish, Italian and German. Recently however, courses have been made using his techniques for Russian, Arabic and Chinese. I would hope that more languages would be coming. I would love to have Swedish or Dutch but I won't hold my breath!
See this BBC video on his fascinating life and teaching method. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ3xvL22hLE
Monday, September 01, 2008
Not Learning Foreign Languages
I keep hearing people actually defending not learning a language besides English. This is a common American trait. The only decent argument I have heard so far in favor of Americans not learning foreign languages went thus : the Dutch (for example) need to learn several languages in order to survive. But at what cost? They are not learning math and science and computers to the degree that Americans are. In that way we maintain our competitive edge.
Is that argument valid? As I look at statistics from around the world, it seems that America is in poor shape on the education front. It falls far behind European and Asian competitors. Granted, American universities are the best in the world overall, but even that is now vulnerable. Americas obsession with halting illegal immigration (which isn't working), is actually taking a terrible toll on legal immigration, particularly on students who want to go to an American university. Attendance at top non-American universities is rising at record rates. The brain drain to the US may be slowing.
The decline of the US education system actually increases the need for us to learn other languages, in order to compete more effectively in the global market. I recently read an article on a similar subject which referred to an environment of 'anti-intellectualism in America.' That is the problem.
Since when is it cool to be stupid?
Is that argument valid? As I look at statistics from around the world, it seems that America is in poor shape on the education front. It falls far behind European and Asian competitors. Granted, American universities are the best in the world overall, but even that is now vulnerable. Americas obsession with halting illegal immigration (which isn't working), is actually taking a terrible toll on legal immigration, particularly on students who want to go to an American university. Attendance at top non-American universities is rising at record rates. The brain drain to the US may be slowing.
The decline of the US education system actually increases the need for us to learn other languages, in order to compete more effectively in the global market. I recently read an article on a similar subject which referred to an environment of 'anti-intellectualism in America.' That is the problem.
Since when is it cool to be stupid?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Rosetta Stone Canceling Agreements With Public Libraries
Rosetta Stone has begun canceling its licensing agreements with public libraries. From what I understand, they will no longer offer online use of their software through the library system. I believe libraries can still stock the CD-Rom version of the software, for a licensing fee I presume.
Already library systems are turning to alternatives. I have seen several set up shop with Mangolanguages.com and also Livemocha.com. A few have replaced Rosetta Stone completely with TELL ME MORE
I have not seen or heard of any explanation for why Rosetta Stone is doing this.
Already library systems are turning to alternatives. I have seen several set up shop with Mangolanguages.com and also Livemocha.com. A few have replaced Rosetta Stone completely with TELL ME MORE
I have not seen or heard of any explanation for why Rosetta Stone is doing this.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Language Demos - Try Before You Buy
'Try before you buy' has become my new mantra lately. So many people buy a language method, particularly a more expensive one, only to discover they don't like it or it's not what they were looking for. So, I've been recommending to people that they try out a few language methods first. Many companies offer a demo to download, or tryout or view online. Transparent Language, Rosetta Stone, Tell Me More, Fluenz and others all have a way for a potential buyer to see their product in action before they purchase, rather than buy blindly. Read more in my article http://www.language-learning-advisor.com/language-learning-demos-try-before-you-buy.html
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Veteran Language Learners and Published Language Methods
When it comes to using a published language learning method, it makes a very big difference whether you are experienced at studying languages or not. A veteran language learner will use those methods in very different ways than a beginner does. Or maybe I should say that a beginner expects a lot more from it than the veteran does.
Most published methods (software, audio courses, etc) are generally made for the beginner. They are designed to lead along beginners by the hand, spoon-feeding them their new language in small effortless doses.
This is great if you are a beginner. But the veteran has already finely honed the skill set required for language learning and can advance quicker than most published methods allow.
Few published methods include much material for intermediate and advanced learners. More experienced language learners seek out those methods that do, or use a lower level program which they know will give them the right foundation to build upon.
But they will also use other sources to learn from. Using their preferred methods as a base, they will smartly fill in the gaps with grammar books, listening to a lot of audio and extensive reading after the initial steps into the language.
Methods have their place, but complete reliance on them is a no-no for the veteran language learner.
What can we learn from this?
Don't rely on one just method. Look beyond it and use complementary materials to study and learn from. Listen to a lot of real-life audio and read a lot. It's not hard to find material and it's free. Don't expect one language method to do everything, and don't expect to sit back and do nothing. You still have to work at it.
Most published methods (software, audio courses, etc) are generally made for the beginner. They are designed to lead along beginners by the hand, spoon-feeding them their new language in small effortless doses.
This is great if you are a beginner. But the veteran has already finely honed the skill set required for language learning and can advance quicker than most published methods allow.
Few published methods include much material for intermediate and advanced learners. More experienced language learners seek out those methods that do, or use a lower level program which they know will give them the right foundation to build upon.
But they will also use other sources to learn from. Using their preferred methods as a base, they will smartly fill in the gaps with grammar books, listening to a lot of audio and extensive reading after the initial steps into the language.
Methods have their place, but complete reliance on them is a no-no for the veteran language learner.
What can we learn from this?
Don't rely on one just method. Look beyond it and use complementary materials to study and learn from. Listen to a lot of real-life audio and read a lot. It's not hard to find material and it's free. Don't expect one language method to do everything, and don't expect to sit back and do nothing. You still have to work at it.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Learning a Language at School?
Several students learning languages on their own reported using a published language method (such as Pimsleur) as a way to get ahead in their classes at school. They always report getting better grades than ever before, and even accelerating ahead of their classmates, where before they had lagged behind.
They soon 'discovered' that a motivated learner can go farther and faster on their own than they can using the standard classroom techniques. Of course, this is something that veteran language self-learners have known for quite a while. This leads to the student learning additional languages entirely outside of the classroom and the budding polyglot is born!
The additional home-study with an independent method may be the doorway to a whole new outlook on learning languages for many students. If you are going back to school and are studying a language this year, consider adding another language method to your homework assignmment. Something different from "conjugate these verbs for tomorrow ..." At least consider using the vast free internet resources at your disposal to enhance your classroom study. You may be shocked at the progress you and your grades can make!
They soon 'discovered' that a motivated learner can go farther and faster on their own than they can using the standard classroom techniques. Of course, this is something that veteran language self-learners have known for quite a while. This leads to the student learning additional languages entirely outside of the classroom and the budding polyglot is born!
The additional home-study with an independent method may be the doorway to a whole new outlook on learning languages for many students. If you are going back to school and are studying a language this year, consider adding another language method to your homework assignmment. Something different from "conjugate these verbs for tomorrow ..." At least consider using the vast free internet resources at your disposal to enhance your classroom study. You may be shocked at the progress you and your grades can make!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Top 100 Language Blogs
There is a Top 100 Language Blogs list on the internet. Actually, I would recommend you look at the whole list of 250 language blogs. You can find a treasure trove of information on language learning between all of the blogs. Some are more academic, some are focused on just one language. It is not a complete list of all language blogs on the internet. There are plenty of blogs that I know of that aren't on it, including this one, but that's not the point. If you look through them, there is something for everyone there.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Rosetta Stone Love it or Hate it
One thing I've noticed about people and Rosetta Stone is that they either love it or hate it.
The majority of people are in the middle ground somewhere, but with Rosetta Stone, there are an awful lot of people with an extreme opinion. Granted, people are more likely to be vocal about their hatred for a product than they are about their love for it. And these people seem to be very vocal.
Let me compare Rosetta Stone to Pimsleur. Some people love Pimsleur, others don't like it. But the ones who don't like it agree that it has its virtues. Most of the non-positive reviews of Pimsleur concede that Pimsleur is better at building pronunciation and conversation skills than any other method. It's just a clash of learning styles, or they feel it is a little too expensive for the return they may be getting. Fair enough. And that's just it - the negative reviews of Pimsleur are fair.
Back to Rosetta Stone. The positive reviews are absolutely glowing and the negative reviews are scathing. Rosetta Stone must really be rubbing some people the wrong way or the right. It seems like these super-positive reviews and harshly negative reviews are motivated. Smells a little fishy to me, on both sides of the fence. Any thoughts? Care to write your review of Rosetta Stone?
The majority of people are in the middle ground somewhere, but with Rosetta Stone, there are an awful lot of people with an extreme opinion. Granted, people are more likely to be vocal about their hatred for a product than they are about their love for it. And these people seem to be very vocal.
Let me compare Rosetta Stone to Pimsleur. Some people love Pimsleur, others don't like it. But the ones who don't like it agree that it has its virtues. Most of the non-positive reviews of Pimsleur concede that Pimsleur is better at building pronunciation and conversation skills than any other method. It's just a clash of learning styles, or they feel it is a little too expensive for the return they may be getting. Fair enough. And that's just it - the negative reviews of Pimsleur are fair.
Back to Rosetta Stone. The positive reviews are absolutely glowing and the negative reviews are scathing. Rosetta Stone must really be rubbing some people the wrong way or the right. It seems like these super-positive reviews and harshly negative reviews are motivated. Smells a little fishy to me, on both sides of the fence. Any thoughts? Care to write your review of Rosetta Stone?
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Cheap Pimsleur
As you probably know, Pimsleur is one of the most popular language learning methods. You may also know that it is my favorite. However, I know perfectly well that Pimsleur has its drawbacks. One of the biggest is the price. It's a little expensive as far as the average person is concerned.
I've mentioned some ways to help lighten the load on the site before, but I have also just written a new article on this subject. If you are interested, you can read my article http://ezinearticles.com/?Cheap-Pimsleur---7-Ways-to-Save-Money-on-the-Pimsleur-Language-Learning-Method&id=1382810
Also, Simon and Schuster continue to add to their lineup, slowly but surely. New products scheduled for release include - Croation Comprehensive Level 1 (October), Greek Comprehensive Level 2 (October), Eastern Arabic Comprehensive Level 3 (November) and Hebrew Comprehensive Level 3 (December).
I've mentioned some ways to help lighten the load on the site before, but I have also just written a new article on this subject. If you are interested, you can read my article http://ezinearticles.com/?Cheap-Pimsleur---7-Ways-to-Save-Money-on-the-Pimsleur-Language-Learning-Method&id=1382810
Also, Simon and Schuster continue to add to their lineup, slowly but surely. New products scheduled for release include - Croation Comprehensive Level 1 (October), Greek Comprehensive Level 2 (October), Eastern Arabic Comprehensive Level 3 (November) and Hebrew Comprehensive Level 3 (December).
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Free Lessons for 40 Languages
http://www.goethe-verlag.com/ has a text and audio method for 40 languages for free on its website called Book2. Each language has 100 lessons with basic vocabulary and simple phrases and sentences. Enough to survive in-country. Text and audio for all languages can be accessed from the website, but there is also a full download of all 100 lessons for a few languages - French, German, Dutch, Czech, Russian, Polish, Turkish and Romanian. There are also hundreds of vocabulary tests for many of those languages.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Massive Input before you speak
http://thelinguist.blogs.com/how_to_learn_english_and/2008/08/first-understan.html
This is an article from Steve Kaufmann, the linguist of Lingq. To sum up his approach - massive Input of the language you want to learn. The Output comes later. Basically, he says you won't be able to properly or easily produce original spoken material in the language until you have a large and varied vocabulary, which can only be obtained with lots of input, mostly from reading.
I agree with (and to a certain extent, use) Steves approach with one caveat - if you have the time! You need lots of time to absorb all that material. If you don't have the time, complete immersion is probably the only way to go, but it can be ugly and difficult.
Steves approach is cozy, even enjoyable, something learning a language ought to be. Lingq is a site Steve put together in order to help people use this system of his. It is free to use. Give it a shot, you may find that it suits you.
This is an article from Steve Kaufmann, the linguist of Lingq. To sum up his approach - massive Input of the language you want to learn. The Output comes later. Basically, he says you won't be able to properly or easily produce original spoken material in the language until you have a large and varied vocabulary, which can only be obtained with lots of input, mostly from reading.
I agree with (and to a certain extent, use) Steves approach with one caveat - if you have the time! You need lots of time to absorb all that material. If you don't have the time, complete immersion is probably the only way to go, but it can be ugly and difficult.
Steves approach is cozy, even enjoyable, something learning a language ought to be. Lingq is a site Steve put together in order to help people use this system of his. It is free to use. Give it a shot, you may find that it suits you.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Spanish in danger in Spain!
In the US, we are currently debating whether or not to make English the official language. It is, of course, the uncontested unofficial language, but there is always ongoing debate regarding how much resources are put into accomodating people who speak other languages, most notably Spanish.
I recently posted about an African country, Ghana, and their discussion of 'national languages.' I have just found out about an interesting debate going on in Spain.
There is no question that Spanish is the official language of Spain. Or is there? Spain has some other native languages (such as Catalan and Basque) that have significant regional influence and some official status. To the credit of the powers that be, efforts have been made in recent decades to ensure that these languages do not become threatened by an overpowering national language (Spanish). They don't want to see these languages in the same situation as Occitan and Breton in France, or Cornish in Britain.
But there is actually some concern that Spanish itself is in danger! In Spain! Sound a little
crazy? Read this article - http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1419303.php/World_language_Spanish_threatened_in_Spain_campaign_claims__Feature_
I recently posted about an African country, Ghana, and their discussion of 'national languages.' I have just found out about an interesting debate going on in Spain.
There is no question that Spanish is the official language of Spain. Or is there? Spain has some other native languages (such as Catalan and Basque) that have significant regional influence and some official status. To the credit of the powers that be, efforts have been made in recent decades to ensure that these languages do not become threatened by an overpowering national language (Spanish). They don't want to see these languages in the same situation as Occitan and Breton in France, or Cornish in Britain.
But there is actually some concern that Spanish itself is in danger! In Spain! Sound a little
crazy? Read this article - http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1419303.php/World_language_Spanish_threatened_in_Spain_campaign_claims__Feature_
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
What is the Easiest Language to Learn?
So, what is the easiest language to learn, anyway? This is very subjective, of course, but I recently wrote an article on this based on the results of the Easiest Language To Learn Survey. The survey has been active on my site since June 17th, 2006 with 870 responses. If you have read the results on that page before (which I have updated from time to time), then you already know the answer. If you are interested, you can read the article by clicking on the title in the Ezinearticles widget on the right side of the blog.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Aramaic - A Living Language
A few weeks ago, I linked to an interesting article on Aramaic and other related biblical languages. I have also read from time to time of Aramaic being spoken regularly in a few churches or monasteries. While this is interesting, I just read this article :
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803889.htm
It shows that Aramaic is actually a living language. It is spoken as a native language and is regularly taught to children. If you listen to the tone of the article, it is a big contrast when compared to efforts to save most other endangered languages, such as those in the US or perhaps Australia. It sounds as if the natives recognize the importance of their language and that they are the stewards of a tradition.
Aramaic is of great religious, historical and linguistic importance. If more speakers of endangered languages felt this way about their own language and culture, there wouldn't be quite so many languages dying out.
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803889.htm
It shows that Aramaic is actually a living language. It is spoken as a native language and is regularly taught to children. If you listen to the tone of the article, it is a big contrast when compared to efforts to save most other endangered languages, such as those in the US or perhaps Australia. It sounds as if the natives recognize the importance of their language and that they are the stewards of a tradition.
Aramaic is of great religious, historical and linguistic importance. If more speakers of endangered languages felt this way about their own language and culture, there wouldn't be quite so many languages dying out.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Pimsleur has added an Italian Plus to their product lineup. Italian Plus is a 10 lesson course to follow Italian Comprehensive Level 3. This brings the total number of half-hour lessons for Italian Pimsleur to 100.
My only experience with a Plus course was Spanish. I used the Spanish Plus course after finishing all three levels of Spanish Comprehensive. I didn't find it particulary unique, it was just 'another 10 lessons of Pimsleur Spanish." I love the Pimsleur Comprehensive courses and I enjoyed the Spanish Plus addition, but there wasn't anything outstandingly different about it. It was simply a matter of not wanting the Pimsleur Comprehensive course to end since I enjoyed
it so much.
I imagine that the Italian Plus course is similar. If you enjoyed Italian Comprehensive, you will continue with the plus course and enjoy that. And if you are anything like me, you will feel a little bummed to be finished with such an enjoyable course, knowing that there is still so much more to learn.
My only experience with a Plus course was Spanish. I used the Spanish Plus course after finishing all three levels of Spanish Comprehensive. I didn't find it particulary unique, it was just 'another 10 lessons of Pimsleur Spanish." I love the Pimsleur Comprehensive courses and I enjoyed the Spanish Plus addition, but there wasn't anything outstandingly different about it. It was simply a matter of not wanting the Pimsleur Comprehensive course to end since I enjoyed
it so much.
I imagine that the Italian Plus course is similar. If you enjoyed Italian Comprehensive, you will continue with the plus course and enjoy that. And if you are anything like me, you will feel a little bummed to be finished with such an enjoyable course, knowing that there is still so much more to learn.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Lingus TV
There is a great new resource to help you learn Spanish. http://www.lingus.tv is a new site with short video dialogues. Each video has the transcription on the video, plus underneath with or without the translation. There are also notes on grammar and vocabulary or idioms used in each video.
The videos are sorted by level (beginner, intermediate and advanced) and also tagged by topic (like directions or introductions), vocabulary, or specific situations (like being angry or how to apologize).
It is simple, easy to use, full of a sense of humor and more real than most methods or tutorials. These are the kinds of conversations real people have. It is in Castilian Spanish, so it is a little different from Latin American Spanish, but is a very helpful and effective resource. I hope they continue to expand their offering of videos, and maybe even use this new platform to add more languages!
The videos are sorted by level (beginner, intermediate and advanced) and also tagged by topic (like directions or introductions), vocabulary, or specific situations (like being angry or how to apologize).
It is simple, easy to use, full of a sense of humor and more real than most methods or tutorials. These are the kinds of conversations real people have. It is in Castilian Spanish, so it is a little different from Latin American Spanish, but is a very helpful and effective resource. I hope they continue to expand their offering of videos, and maybe even use this new platform to add more languages!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Learn Breton
Breton is a fascinating language. I like to consider it a Frenchified Celtic language. It is spoken on the Brittany coast of France, across the water from where its close cousin Celtic languages, Cornish and Welsh, are spoken. Interested in learning Breton?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Language Survey Updates
I have updated the results on the Most Beautiful Language Survey page. There is now a Top 10 List for both the Most Beautiful Spoken Language and the Most Beautiful Written Language. I will update these Top 10 lists from time to time.
I have also changed the Hardest Language to Learn Survey. There are no longer any choices, just a space for write-ins. After more than 1500 responses, there is a good enough number to get a reasonably accurate sampling. But putting a group of choices first may be unintentionally skewing the results in favor of those languages. So, I have removed the choices. I will see how this affects the results. It should be interesting.
I have also changed the Hardest Language to Learn Survey. There are no longer any choices, just a space for write-ins. After more than 1500 responses, there is a good enough number to get a reasonably accurate sampling. But putting a group of choices first may be unintentionally skewing the results in favor of those languages. So, I have removed the choices. I will see how this affects the results. It should be interesting.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
LiveMocha - More Sites for Learning Languages
As part of our study regimen it is essential to add penpals, live chats and even voice chats to our mix of language learning tools. There are dozens of sites that offer these features specifically for language learners. I thought the Language Penpal Resources page had more than enough variety, but every time I turn around, there is another site for language learners. I don't think having anymore of these sites can hurt, but I just can't keep up with them all! The good news is that some of the newer ones have deep pockets. They can afford to spend on some very good features. Here is an in-depth review of LiveMocha - one of the most popular new sites - http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/livemocha-smell-the-coffee-and-learn-the-lingo/
Monday, July 07, 2008
National Languages in Africa
African countries often have a problem that European countries never had : no single unifying native language. No national language around which to rally. Most often, the unifying language or languages (if there even are any) are former colonial languages like English or French.
Most African countries have many, even dozens, of different languages. Tradition and rivalries between tribes and ethnic groups often make it difficult to accept one language over another as an official national language.
The one possibility which seems acceptable to the largest number of people is several official languages taken from the largest and most influential ethnic groups, but alongside the language of their former colonial rulers. It is often one of the few unifying factors keeping the country together (Nigeria comes to mind). They recognize the need for national identity and heritage, but they are also taking the most practical approach.
Here is an article about just such a debate in Ghana.
http://www.modernghana.com/news/173286/1/which-local-language-for-a-national-language.html
Most African countries have many, even dozens, of different languages. Tradition and rivalries between tribes and ethnic groups often make it difficult to accept one language over another as an official national language.
The one possibility which seems acceptable to the largest number of people is several official languages taken from the largest and most influential ethnic groups, but alongside the language of their former colonial rulers. It is often one of the few unifying factors keeping the country together (Nigeria comes to mind). They recognize the need for national identity and heritage, but they are also taking the most practical approach.
Here is an article about just such a debate in Ghana.
http://www.modernghana.com/news/173286/1/which-local-language-for-a-national-language.html
Friday, July 04, 2008
Tell Me More German Performance
I've started a blog to document my efforts to learn German using Tell Me More German Performance Edition. I am not very far into the program, but my first impressions of the software are very good. It seems to be very thorough with lots of features. If you are interested in learning German or the Tell Me More software for another language, read Learn German With Me.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Aramaic, Syriac and Mandaic
Here is a really interesting article on Biblical languages. It goes into some detail on Aramaic and related languages (Syriac and Mandaic specifically) and their writing forms. It contains insights into their relationships and lots of books and resources to study these languages. Very interesting article even if you aren't going to study them.
http://exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com/2008/06/syriac-aramaic-and-mandaic-learn-one.html
http://exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com/2008/06/syriac-aramaic-and-mandaic-learn-one.html
Thursday, June 26, 2008
National Museum of Language
Did you know that there was a National Museum of Language? It opened its doors in College Park, Maryland just last month. I found references to the museum over the last year or two and I was glad to hear it has finally opened. I am certainly going to visit the museum the next time I am in the Washington DC area and I plan to become a member. Learn more about the National Museum of Language at www.languagemuseum.org/
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Lingq
I have been experimenting with Lingq in recent months. It's a website for language learners to learn and track their progress. They provide learning materials (audio with transcripts, podcasts, dialogues etc) and ways to hook up with other learners and even teachers to learn from. There is a point system where through earning points by adding content or buying points, you can use those points to buy services like having your written work corrected or participating in voice chats. There is a great feature whereby you can set goals and track your progress. It's fun to use and they are always adding new content, languages and features.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Tell Me More German
I have received from Auaralog a copy of Tell Me More German Performance which looks very promising. It is a very comprehensive program, so it will take me some time to work with before I give it a proper review. My initial impressions are that it is a very thorough course which has a great look to it and many helpful features. This Performance product looks to be their new flagship product. Look for an upcoming review.
TELL ME MORE German
Language Learning Software
And again, I must stress - too many people are looking for one product to answer all of their questions or teach them everything. That doesn't happen (at least not yet). I always recommend using several language products to learn from, and to keep learning long past your 'core method' with the many resources that are available these days.
TELL ME MORE German
Language Learning Software
And again, I must stress - too many people are looking for one product to answer all of their questions or teach them everything. That doesn't happen (at least not yet). I always recommend using several language products to learn from, and to keep learning long past your 'core method' with the many resources that are available these days.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Advantage Language
There is a nice alternative to other, more popular, published language methods. Advantage Language makes a software program to study Spanish, French, Italian or German. It comes with all the bells and whistles of other programs - audio and text, a variety of exercises to test your knowledge, dialogues, cultural information, etc. It even comes with additional audio CDs, dictionary software, a microphone (for use with the voice recognition parts of the program) and lots of other extras.
I like the content of the program, it's the kind you can begin to use right away as you learn it. There is another feature that I like that I haven't seen any other publisher doing. If you order the full 4-level program, you will receive 1 level each month. This seems very simple but it's a powerful motivator to complete and master each level in time for the next level to arrive. They will work with you if you want to put off receiving the next one, but I think it's great foresight to design a method with a specific time-frame to shoot for.
Look for my upcoming full-page review on the site, or for more information, go to
AdvantageLanguage.com
I like the content of the program, it's the kind you can begin to use right away as you learn it. There is another feature that I like that I haven't seen any other publisher doing. If you order the full 4-level program, you will receive 1 level each month. This seems very simple but it's a powerful motivator to complete and master each level in time for the next level to arrive. They will work with you if you want to put off receiving the next one, but I think it's great foresight to design a method with a specific time-frame to shoot for.
Look for my upcoming full-page review on the site, or for more information, go to
AdvantageLanguage.com
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Learn Hungarian
Hungarian is a another recent language page addition to the site. If you want to learn Hungarian, there are a few great resources that you can use to get started learning on your own. The Learn Hungarian page has some links to outstanding FREE resources for learning Hungarian. Get BYKI Lite Hungarian, FSI Hungarian and listen to the first lesson of Pimsleur Hungarian all for free
Thursday, May 29, 2008
More Pimsleur Samples
There are more Pimsleur samples on the site. Listen to a free first lesson of Pimsleur in any of these languages - Farsi (Persian), Russian, Hebrew, Dutch, Greek, Hindi and Polish. If you are learning or interested in learning any of these languages, it's a great way to see if you like the Pimsleur method or think it would be a good fit for you. I highly recommend trying out any method or program before you buy it whenever possible.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Learn Portuguese
Portuguese is a language rising in influence. Recent research has shown that the use of Portuguese on the internet is growing much faster than other languages. And it is increasing in popularity as a second or third language. Portuguese is often overlooked and a little overshadowed by Spanish, but is an interesting and widely spoken international language.
On my Learn Portuguese page you can listen to the first lesson of Pimsleur Portuguese Comprehensive, download BYKI Lite for Portuguese, or even try a demo for Rosetta Stone Portuguese all for free!
Not looking to spend any money on a full course? How about the full FSI Portuguese course with text and audio - there is a link there to a site with that course (and many others) that you can use to get a comprehensive knowledge of Portuguese for free!
On my Learn Portuguese page you can listen to the first lesson of Pimsleur Portuguese Comprehensive, download BYKI Lite for Portuguese, or even try a demo for Rosetta Stone Portuguese all for free!
Not looking to spend any money on a full course? How about the full FSI Portuguese course with text and audio - there is a link there to a site with that course (and many others) that you can use to get a comprehensive knowledge of Portuguese for free!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Learn Swahili
Learn Swahili is a recent language addition to the site. I must admit I have neglected African languages. There are many and they are far removed from what I am familiar with. Many African languages have few or no resources to learn with, but since Swahili is a lingua franca in east Africa, it has some significant influence and therefore some resources to work with. If you are interested in Swahili take a look!
Friday, May 09, 2008
Asian Pacific American Heritage
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. If you have some Asian ancestry and you've been thinking about learning the language of your family or ancestors, maybe now is the time to start! There are lots of free resources to get started learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, even Hawaiian!
Listen to a free first lesson of Pimsleur or try the Rosetta Stone demo in any of these languages -Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese or Thai at Language Learning Advisor.com. Or download BYKI Lite for free to get started learning vocabulary or phrases in any of those languages plus many others! - Free BYKI™ Lite download by Transparent Language
Stop thinking about it and start learning now! Or, if you've already started, get motivated and really focus on it - redouble your efforts toward learning your target language and work toward that long-term goal of fluency!
Listen to a free first lesson of Pimsleur or try the Rosetta Stone demo in any of these languages -Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese or Thai at Language Learning Advisor.com. Or download BYKI Lite for free to get started learning vocabulary or phrases in any of those languages plus many others! - Free BYKI™ Lite download by Transparent Language
Stop thinking about it and start learning now! Or, if you've already started, get motivated and really focus on it - redouble your efforts toward learning your target language and work toward that long-term goal of fluency!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
First Lesson of Pimsleur Japanese Free
You can listen to the first lesson of Pimsleur Japanese free here!
Because Japanese is such a difficult language to learn how to read and write, many people have used Pimsleur to get a handle on spoken Japanese and just avoided that reading/writing obstacle altogether. Evaluate your goals - if you don't need to read and write (at least not at first) then why study that at all? Use the greatest strength of Pimsleur to your advantage, and nullify its greatest weakness!
Because Japanese is such a difficult language to learn how to read and write, many people have used Pimsleur to get a handle on spoken Japanese and just avoided that reading/writing obstacle altogether. Evaluate your goals - if you don't need to read and write (at least not at first) then why study that at all? Use the greatest strength of Pimsleur to your advantage, and nullify its greatest weakness!
Saturday, April 05, 2008
FSI French
FSI French is one of those great but out-dated language methods that you can still see being sold around the internet. Don't be fooled! You can download the same courses (and many others) for free at http://fsi-language-courses.com/ I updated the link on the http://www.language-learning-advisor.com/learning-french.html page to this excellent resource. For the price, you just can't beat it!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Pimsleur First Lesson Free
I've been adding links to product demos a lot lately. I find that people can get a much better feel for a language method if they can try it. Unfortunately, not all publishers offer a demo of their products.
Transparent Language offers a Lite version of their BYKI software and I've included a link for every language page that I have on the site. Rosetta Stone offers a demo of their software, and all language pages on the site (for which Rosetta Stone has a product) now have a link to their demo.
Pimsleur is a little different. They do offer the first lesson of their audio programs for free. Finding them is a little tricky. I am adding an audio player and link to the first lesson for all of the languages that Pimsleur has a product for. This will take a little time, however. I've added Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Arabic. Others will be coming along, but if you can't wait for a language that you are interested in, contact me and I'll make that language a priority.
Transparent Language offers a Lite version of their BYKI software and I've included a link for every language page that I have on the site. Rosetta Stone offers a demo of their software, and all language pages on the site (for which Rosetta Stone has a product) now have a link to their demo.
Pimsleur is a little different. They do offer the first lesson of their audio programs for free. Finding them is a little tricky. I am adding an audio player and link to the first lesson for all of the languages that Pimsleur has a product for. This will take a little time, however. I've added Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Arabic. Others will be coming along, but if you can't wait for a language that you are interested in, contact me and I'll make that language a priority.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Surveys Update
I have recently updated the Hardest Language to Learn and the Easiest Language to Learn surveys. The Thank You page (after you fill out the survey) displays the ongoing results in a graph form. It doesn't show the results of the write-in portion of the survey, only the first part. So many people wanted to actually see the results that I made that addition for them.
I was pleased to see in the Clinton/Obama debate a few weeks ago (I believe it was on Feb 21st - International Mother Language Day!) that they raised questions of bilingualism, language, and English as an official language in the US. Both candidates gave a good response - that they would promote the teaching of foreign languages in school and that it was critical for the US to do so. They also both promoted English as the unifying language of the US, but both backed down from the idea of it as an official language.
I was pleased to see in the Clinton/Obama debate a few weeks ago (I believe it was on Feb 21st - International Mother Language Day!) that they raised questions of bilingualism, language, and English as an official language in the US. Both candidates gave a good response - that they would promote the teaching of foreign languages in school and that it was critical for the US to do so. They also both promoted English as the unifying language of the US, but both backed down from the idea of it as an official language.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
International Mother Language Day!
February 21 is International Mother Language Day!
February 21 was proclaimed International Mother Language Day by UNESCO’s General Conference in November 1999 and has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
So many languages die out because their own native speakers don't recognize the value of them. They choose to learn regional and international languages in order to survive and compete in a global economy. But they lose a great cultural heritage in the process.
Celebrate your Mother Language today, whether it is an international language like English, Russian or French, a regional language like Swahili or Persian, or a language spoken little outside its home territory like Igbo, Icelandic or Tibetan!
February 21 was proclaimed International Mother Language Day by UNESCO’s General Conference in November 1999 and has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
So many languages die out because their own native speakers don't recognize the value of them. They choose to learn regional and international languages in order to survive and compete in a global economy. But they lose a great cultural heritage in the process.
Celebrate your Mother Language today, whether it is an international language like English, Russian or French, a regional language like Swahili or Persian, or a language spoken little outside its home territory like Igbo, Icelandic or Tibetan!
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Most Beautiful Language in the World
I have updated the results on the Most Beautiful Language Survey page. It's a very subjective survey, of course, but I at least wanted to show visitors what people are thinking, along with the Hardest Language to Learn and Easiest Language to Learn surveys.
Actually, I'll be leaving the form open to increase the number of results I have - the larger the sampling, the more the results will reflect the opinion of the average language learner. As of right now, a few aggressive fans of a single language could motivate a number of number of people to skew the results. But, I'll update on a regular basis. I'm not in any hurry and the survey isn't for anything in particular.
Actually, I'll be leaving the form open to increase the number of results I have - the larger the sampling, the more the results will reflect the opinion of the average language learner. As of right now, a few aggressive fans of a single language could motivate a number of number of people to skew the results. But, I'll update on a regular basis. I'm not in any hurry and the survey isn't for anything in particular.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Language Reviews
As I've read a number of books on learning languages, I've noticed that there is always a chapter on choosing which language to learn. When I first read it , I thought it was odd. If you're going to learn a language, you should pretty much already know which one (or ones) you want or need to learn.
But, I discover more and more that there are lots of people who don't know which language they want to learn. They know they want to learn another language, but can't decide which one is most useful or interesing to them. These are people who have the drive to learn, but no pre-determining need or desire for one particular language.
In Barry Farbers book How to Learn Any Language, he has a section on language reviews. He reviews the most popular languages to learn as anyone would review movies or a book.
I liked this idea and I've added a Language Reviews page on the site. Here, you can add your thoughts on languages you have learned or studied.
I think it is an interesting way for people to share their language learning experiences with a specific language, and thereby help people who are currently learning the language, or even just thinking about it.
But, I discover more and more that there are lots of people who don't know which language they want to learn. They know they want to learn another language, but can't decide which one is most useful or interesing to them. These are people who have the drive to learn, but no pre-determining need or desire for one particular language.
In Barry Farbers book How to Learn Any Language, he has a section on language reviews. He reviews the most popular languages to learn as anyone would review movies or a book.
I liked this idea and I've added a Language Reviews page on the site. Here, you can add your thoughts on languages you have learned or studied.
I think it is an interesting way for people to share their language learning experiences with a specific language, and thereby help people who are currently learning the language, or even just thinking about it.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Pimsleur Reviews
There are more new Pimsleur reviews on the site that have been added by visitors.
French Pimsleur Review is a review of Pimsleur French. Although, the reviewer does not mention which product he used, it is a 10-lesson cd set, which means it was probably a French Basic course.
(Simon and Schuster uses the same material for each course. The first 8 lessons for Quick and Simple, first 10 for Basic, first 16 for instant Conversation etc. So, a review of one product is applicable, to a certain degree, to other products for the same language.)
Other recent reviews were of Pimsleur Romanian, Mandarin Chinese and others. To read some visitor Pimsleur reviews, go to Pimseur Reviews.
French Pimsleur Review is a review of Pimsleur French. Although, the reviewer does not mention which product he used, it is a 10-lesson cd set, which means it was probably a French Basic course.
(Simon and Schuster uses the same material for each course. The first 8 lessons for Quick and Simple, first 10 for Basic, first 16 for instant Conversation etc. So, a review of one product is applicable, to a certain degree, to other products for the same language.)
Other recent reviews were of Pimsleur Romanian, Mandarin Chinese and others. To read some visitor Pimsleur reviews, go to Pimseur Reviews.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Rosetta Stone Review
Happy New Year!
For a long time I have recommended Rosetta Stone to visitors and budding language learners. They make one of the most comprehensive and flexible language methods, and it is available for some languages with few other choices. I have finally included a more in-depth review of Rosetta Stone on the site. Also, there is a section for visitors to review Rosetta Stone, so if you have already used the program, you can add your voice and opinion!
For a long time I have recommended Rosetta Stone to visitors and budding language learners. They make one of the most comprehensive and flexible language methods, and it is available for some languages with few other choices. I have finally included a more in-depth review of Rosetta Stone on the site. Also, there is a section for visitors to review Rosetta Stone, so if you have already used the program, you can add your voice and opinion!
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