Linguas & More

One tip to learn a language quickly and effectively My favorite language learning tip If you’ve ever felt burnt out browsing through language textbooks over and over again, or you’ve felt like you weren’t making any progress in a langauge despite weeks of intensive study, this tip may be for you. What I always do when I’m learning a new language is to write in my target language in a journal/diary/whatever you call it , preferably every day. Personally, I enjoy writing about my language learning journey , my travels and my reflections on life, but you can write about literally anything you want. Reasons why this technique is so effective Not only is writing a fun way to learn how to think in another language , but it can also be a great opportunity to practice your grammar and gain new vocabulary . But the most important reason why I consider it an amazing exercise is that when writing you can quickly see which vocabulary words you’re lacking . Moreover, this way you can l...

How I'm learning Swedish How it started As a polyglot and a huge language enthusiast, after reaching an advanced (and upper intermediate) level in all my languages, I was craving a new challenge . I started learning Swahili (out of curiosity), then Czech (it seemed very easy), and then M ā ori (I was doing a presentation on the indigenous people of New Zealand). Unfortunately, in each case, I didn’t have a strong reason to learn the language so I eventually gave up on all of them. Finally, I decided to take a short break to think more deeply about which language I really wanted to learn and which country's culture interested me enough to find out more about it. To my surprise, Sweden came to mind. I knew that Sweden was a country known for its natural beauty and rich culture , but at first it seemed like a completely random choice. However, after giving it some thought , I figured that, after all, ABBA , the Young Royals series, cinnamon rolls, meatballs and IKEA ...

Did my Italian actually improve during my study abroad? My Italian learning journey in a nutshell When I started learning Italian , I already had a pretty good knowledge of Spanish . Because of that, I found it quite easy to follow my language course on a basic level. However, after a year of studying Italian, I decided to take a break to focus on my final exams at the end of high school. After another year, I slowly went back to learning Italian and enrolled in a B1 , and then B2 level course. After finishing the first semester of this course, so just after 2 years of learning Italian, I went to Rome to study at university fully in Italian ( was I crazy? well, maybe a little bit ). The state of my Italian before going to Rome Before my departure, I had to take an exam in Italian (both written and oral) so they could assess my level of the language. To my surprise, the results showed I had a B2+/C1 level in Italian. They gave me the green light to study in Italian, and I...

How I’m learning German from scratch (again) My German learning journey in a nutshell When I was 9 years old , I attended a short German course which made me fall in love with the language . However, after the course ended I didn’t continue studying (I chose to study Spanish instead , due to my beloved Argentinian telenovelas ). My second attempt in learning German was 10 years later , when I studied it for 2-3 months before my trip to Vienna with friends. As a result, I could successfully say: “Hallo, ich möchte eine Kaffe Latte, bitte” or “Entschuldigung, wo sind die Toiletten, bitte?” . Unfortunately, I quickly lost interest in learning German after going back home. Then, a year later , I tried again since I was going to visit my friend who moved to Berlin . It turned out I remembered more than I had thought. I communicated with locals in German without any major issues. However, since then I stopped learning German again due to lack of motivation . Over the last few years, I h...

5 ways to learn a language through music Personally, I feel like music is an integral part of a language, which can help you understand the local culture better. When I’m starting to learn a new language, I always look for some songs in the language first, in order to check if I like the sound of it and decide if I really want to learn it. There are lots of playlists in different languages on Spotify, YouTube and other online platforms. When I finally decide that I do want to learn the language, I usually listen to a few songs that I found and enjoyed  over and over again , until I start to actually study through language apps, online courses and other resources. Here I want to talk about one of my favorite ways to learn a language , that is, through music . If you’re starting a new language, I highly recommend to first find songs you enjoy and just listen to them a couple of times . It’ll help you get used to the sound of the language and increase your motivation to ...

10 things language learners do There is a couple of things that most language learners have in common. If you want to find out what they are and become a better language learner, keep reading! 1. Set goals In my view, setting goals is an incredibly vital element of the language learning process. Goals can be input or output based, and are usually set every year, quarter, month, week or even day. I always set too many goals though, which is not so good. But setting language learning goals properly can help us measure our progress and stay focused and motivated . It also forces us to reflect on our language learning journey, and enables us to learn from the past , realizing what worked and what didn’t. Thanks to this process it’s usually significantly easier for us to establish key goals and objectives adequately for the next period of time and actually stick to them . 2. Immerse themselves in their target language(s) Especially in the early stages of learning a language, it’s ve...

How to learn a language for traveling abroad Why it’s good to learn the basics of a language before traveling abroad I believe learning at least some of the local language before traveling is worth it for a few reasons. First of all, it enables you to communicate with locals and can be really helpful in emergency situations . Secondly, it can help you build meaningful bonds with people you meet along the way. In my experience, this can make your stay a lot more enjoyable and memorable . Besides, learning a language simply shows respect for the local culture and is seen as good manners. Step 1: Immersion For me personally, language immersion means simply immersing yourself in music, podcasts, movies, books , even certain language apps etc. in the language you’re trying to learn. This helps you grasp how the language works, which enables you to later develop better speaking and listening skills, as well as gain some new vocabulary. Also, it often provides a real-world context for la...