polyglotpower

[polyglotpower]

Current Activities Page

Language activities and thoughts as of April 30th, 2019: (** = main study focus)

German (upkeep)

Spanish** (the move from intermediate to advanced)

Once Spanish is advanced: Italian or Portuguese?

More details below....

Deutsch:

Ich benutze jeden Tag Deutsch, weil ich in Deutschland wohne. Das heißt, dass ich nicht wirklich etwas aktives für Deutsch mache, da es schon in meinem Leben ist. Ich studiere z.B an einer deutschen Universität, und dafür muss ich viel Stoff lernen; ich lese auf Deutsch, schreibe Antworten zu den Orientierungsfragen auf Deutsch, etc. Es ist aber immer noch manchmal scheiß schwer, auf Deutsch zu schreiben. Manchmal ist es auch schwer, alles in der Vorlesung zu verstehen. Ich habe bemerkt, dass es schwer ist, die Professorin gleichzeitig zuzuhören während ich Notizen schreibe. Deswegen muss ich viel zu Hause lernen und Material wiederholen. Ich spreche auch ziemlich gut, aber ganz ehrlich, den Druck, fast perfekt auf Deutsch zu sein, weil ich sehr gute Grammatik usw für die Uni brauche, hat den Spaß und auch die Liebe für die Deutsche Sprache weggenommen. Und wie alle schon vll wissen, ist die deutsche Grammatik ziemlich schwer.

Deswegen, probiere ich mehr deutsche Podcasts in meiner Freizeit zu hören statt die auf English, die ich gerne zuhöre. Mein Lieblingspodcast auf Deutsch zurzeit ist “Eine Stunde History”, (auf Spotify) weil ich Geschichte mag und weil ich finde, dass den sehr gut produziert ist. Ich gucke auch alles auf Youtube, dass coldmirror macht, weil ich ihre Humor ganz toll finde :D

Eng. translation: I use German every day because I live in Germany. This means that I don’t usually do anything actively for German because it is already in my everyday life. For example, I study at a German university and I have to learn a lot of material for it; I read in German, write answers to review questions in German, etc. But its sometimes still difficult to write in German. Sometimes its also difficult to understand everything in the lecture. I’ve noticed that its difficult to listen to the professor at the same time that I’m writing notes. Therefore, I have to study a lot at home and repeat a lot of material. I speak pretty well, but honestly, the pressure to be almost perfect in German and have excellent grammar because I need it for university has kind of taken the fun and my love away for the German language. And, as everyone maybe already knows (Germans as well as learners), German grammar is pretty tough.

That’s why I’m trying to listen to more German podcasts in my free time rather than the ones in English that I usually listen to. My favorite podcast in German right now is “Eine Stunde History” (on Spotify), because I like history and because I think it is very well produced. I also watch everything on Youtube that coldmirror comes out with, because I think her humor is so awesome :D

Spanish*:

This is my main language and I love love LOVE Spanish. I read, listen, and watch multiple things every single day in Spanish. I’m at the typical intermediate plateau where I understand and can read so much, but I still struggle to communicate eloquently and use the grammar well. Right now I’m reviewing the past tenses (passively, alongside texts - I never do grammar exercises, I think it’s much more important to learn grammar in context) and beginning to notice the subjunctive in the things I read/listen to/watch. I’d say I’m about a B1, though with listening and reading skills probably almost B2, which I think is normal.

Things I’m reading: I do readings every day on the website LingQ - I follow transcripts of podcasts, read short stories, etc. I find nonfiction to be easier in a foreign language, so that’s usually what I do on LingQ. For fiction off LingQ, right now I’m reading HP and the Philosopher’s Stone because the HP books are perfect for a first fiction series (at least for me). I know them by heart and they progressively get harder and more complex.

Things I’m watching/listening to: Listening: On LingQ I’m listening to several podcasts. Off LingQ (usually in tram, or while cooking or cleaning) I listen to Coffee Break Spanish. I’ve done the available episodes in season 5 and am coming back to season 4 (I skipped it before), and now I’m about 7 or 8 episodes into season 4. Watching: the TV series Casa de las Flores! Oh my gosh I just finished season 1 and can’t wait for 2. I watch it in Spanish w/ Spanish subtitles. It’s definitely my guilty pleasure, just like the series The Gran Hotel, which I started after Casa de las Flores. I also am slowly making my way through a Youtube animated series called “Cartel de Los Burritos” about a kid that delivers burritos and gets roped into working for the local drug lord. It’s hilarious. There’s lots of slang and subtitles are unreliable (sometimes only in English, or sometimes none at all or for only half an episode), but still so great.

Vocabulary: I review vocab within LingQ as well as on Memrise daily. Mostly I concentrate on the the input I’m getting, because the more I see the word in context, the better it will cement it in my brain.

Grammar: As I said, I don’t do traditional grammar exercises in grammar books really. I don’t believe in the traditional school system way of drilling abstract grammar even though students usually have a complete deficit in exposure to the language, so I review grammar as it comes up in my content and by necessity. I find that learning lots of content also helps you get to the point of speaking automatically and not constantly doing grammar in your head quicker - because when you hear enough, read enough, and speak enough, eventually things just start “sounding” or “feeling” right or wrong when they come out of your mouth.

Let me give an example of how I do grammar, because I do believe it is important to know it and learn it, etc. Yesterday I had a speaking session in Spanish with my tutor on italki, and I noticed that (besides the normal intermediate struggle to express yourself the way you’d like and forgetting words that I KNOW THAT I KNOW - that can’t just be me, right?) my past tenses are still quite weak, as is my ability to decide between ser and estar (even worse when I have to deal with BOTH, like the difference between estaba, era, fue). So, after my session yesterday I took out the grammar book I use to look up the rules as I need them (Große Spanische Grammatik from Huebner) and wrote out a few basic notes again, with just the verb endings & important irregulars. Also, I jotted down some keywords (really! not much, only the bare minimum) to jog my memory about each one, something to have beside me and look over whenever I come across a past tense verb and I’m doing focused reading (unfocused reading, in contrast, is when I just read to have fun and relax, like before bed when I’m reading my Harry Potter book). When I do this I try to use keywords that showcase what makes the tenses distinctive and different from each other. Then, I read various texts in my textbook (I use Gente Hoy 2), underlining each past tense word. I read the text a few times, making sure I understand all the content, then I begin to focus on each individual past tense verb that I underlined. I try and analyze why that particular one was used in that situation and not another. In that way, I’m still doing input-based learning and getting the context, but still while I pay particular attention to certain grammar points I know I need to work on.

Writing: I’m planning on incorporating a writing element that helps me work both on the vocabulary I learned as well as the grammar I’m noticing that week/two weeks/whatever frame of time. Right now I haven’t started it yet, but so far I try to write a diary entry every day in a little notebook in Spanish.

#languages #language learning #study #langblr #german #spanish #deutsch #castellano #espanol #language #Current Activities Page

[polyglotpower]

Can you recommend any original Spanish novels appropriate for a B1 level? Or know of someone who can?

yes, sure! sorry it took me a bit long to reply i read your ask a few days ago but wanted to think about it before recommending anything. this is going to be mostly books for children and teenagers

manolito gafotas, by elvira lindo. this is a classic from the 90s and early 2000s. it talks about manolito gafotas and his experiences with his friends and family. the books can be read independently.

anything by laura gallego garcía, as long as IT IS NOT FANTASY. she mostly writes fantasy, but you have, for example, the series “Sara y las goleadoras”. It’s about a female football team (6 books in total)

if you don’t mind reading translated fiction into Spanish, then you can try el pequeño nicolás, by Goscinny-Sempé. There’re many books about this character and they’re quite easy to read

anything by jordi serra i fabra. he has written over 420 books, in spanish and catalan. his most well-known book is probably campo de fresas. you can find the list of his novels here

non-fantasy books by javier ruescas. some are: play (it’s the first part of a series), El (Sin)sentido del amor or pulsaciones

sin noticias de Gurb, by eduardo mendoza. this is the story of an alien who lands in barcelona and he pretends to be a human and it’s basically about the adventures he has in the city while trying to fit in.

el mundo amarillo, by albert espinosa. this book talks about the author’s experience with cancer. it was adapted into a tv show in catalan (polseres vermelles). he’s also the author of “todo lo que podríamos haber sido tú y yo si no fuéramos tú y yo” and “si tu me dices ven lo dejo todo… pero dime ven.”

mortadelo y filemón, by f. ibáñez. this is A CLASSIC. mortadelo y filemón are the main characters of comics created by francisco ibáñez. they’re two spies from la TIA and they’re a disaster. it’s obviouslyfilled with humor and a key part in Spanish culture.

mafalda, by quino. malfada is an argentinian child who is the main character of quino’s comics. she has a turtle called democracy because it’s too slow and the stories talk about world problems form a child’s point of view.

and there’re more, of course! since YA is easier to read, here you have the website for YA books of La casa del libro, one of the largest bookshop chains in Spain. there’s also a national prize for YA and children’s literature. you can check the authors who’ve won the prize here.

i hope this helps! if it’s not enough, you can always send me another ask!!

[polyglotpower]

I’ve recently taken up Spanish, so I though that I’d share some grammar books I’ve been using so far. Maybe someone else finds them useful :) (All links lead to dropbox files)

Practicas de lengua española

Modern Spanish Grammar - A Practical Guide

Spanish Grammar Handbook

A Spanish Grammar Workbook

Gramática de uso del español A1-B

Spanish - An Essential Grammar

Schaums’s Otlines - Spanish Grammar

Ejercicios para practicar gramática

En Marcha - an intensive course for beginners

Gramática. Nivel elemental A1-A2

Practice Makes Perfect - Basic Spanish

Basic Spanish - A Grammar and Workbook

Collins Easy Learning - Spanish Grammar

[polyglotpower]

How can I learn a language on my own. W/o a teacher and a class you know?

Since I have begun to do this myself, I found that the posts below have been very helpful

Ultimate Guide to Learning Languages

Course books or the internet

What do I need

How do I find the time

Study plan

What should I learn

How much should I study

How to learn words

How to learn grammar

How to find motivation

How to be a Better Performer

Languages without Textbooks

How to Learn Many Languages at the Same Time

Studying Multiple Languages at Once

Tips for Studying a Language

#language learning #languages #study #resources #tips #polyglot

[polyglotpower]

Buonasera! (Good evening) Or should I say “Buon giorno” (Good morning)? Or maybe “Buon pomeriggio” (Good afternoon)?

Bando alle ciance! (No more chatting) Let’s start!

websites + apps

Accademia della Crusca [akkaˈdɛːmja ˈdella ˈkruska] - literally means “Academy of the bran”, the most authoritative institution on the italian language and also the oldest linguistic academy of the world

babbel.com - there’s also the app version Google Play store / App store

duolingo.com - recommended for beginners

ielanguages.com

iluss.it

memrise.com

mondlylanguages.com - also on Google Play store / App store

lanquick - Google Play store / App store

grammar / listening / phonology

grammar 1 2 3 4

grammar exercises 1 2 3 4 5

listenings + exercises 1 2

pronunciation 1 2 3 4

dictionary of italian pronunciation

phonetic transcription converter - this is super cool!!

exercises for beginners - each right answer = rice donated to 3rd world countries

dictionaries

accademia della crusca - unlike the main site, there is not an english ver. to this however

cambridge dictionaries

collins

linguee.com

lexicool.com

oxford dictionaries

wordreference (my all time favorite) + Google Play store / App store

music

fabrizio de andré - reasonably considered one of the best italian singer-songwriters ever, if you like folk music you’ll love De André

marco mengoni - well known pop-rock singer-songwriter with a dreamy voice

noemi - i LOVE her voice, it’s so stunning

tiziano ferro - another well-known italian artist (pop/r&b)

caparezza - imo, the best italian rapper, with a hint of pop/hip-hop

(BECAUSE OF MY URL MY JUST GONNA LEAVE THIS HERE)

other links

differences between english and italian

learn about italian culture 1 2 3 4 5

10 italian words that sound like what they mean

10 beautiful italian words

italian for my girlfriend - super cute tumblr blog of illustrated italian words

“learn italian” youtube playlist by TomTxxytu - gr8 for beginners!

5 must-see italian films to learn italian

spell check 1 2 (online) 3 (Microsoft Office Word)

survival phrases

italian proverbs

italian slang dictionary

italian hand gestures - something we’re worldwide famous for! haha

tips from a native speaker

italian is not an easy language. the grammar structure is complex, it has a wide vocabulary and depending on factors you might also find difficult to master the pronunciation. don’t beat yourself up if you don’t succeed at first, it takes time and practice. be patient. you’ll master the language one day.

the “italian standard vocabulary” (the one we use on a daily basis) is made of 6.500 words, but 90% of conversations are made using 2.000 basic words. you’ll be able to keep up a conversation sooner than you think!

don’t be afraid to talk with a native speaker even if you’re a beginner!! we’ll most likely understand you and correct you if necessary. also you’ll improve SO MUCH

this is a really interesting tip: purchase the italian translation of your favorite book and read it. it’s easier bc you already know the story + you can look at the translation for any doubts. when you become more confident, then you can start reading new books

pick an article from an italian newspaper and translate it with the help of a dictionary. here, have some italian newspapers 1 2 3 4 5

never rely on google translate, it’s good if you want a general idea of the meaning but 9/10 translations are incorrect

you want to keep two notebooks, one for grammar/exercises and one for your personal vocab (i suggest you to get an alphabetized one)

listen to italian music, watch movies/documentaries/tv shows in italian (with or without subtitles). 90% of my english knowledge comes from this method tbh

in the #langblr tag you can find many more tips, posts and blogs to help you

submit you exercises!

if you want a revision of your italian exercises you can submit them and i’ll gladly be your proofreader!!

post types recommended are Text and Link

please keep in mind that i proofread in my spare time, so don’t get mad if it takes longer than you expect! if it’s something that has a deadline avoid submitting it, idk, the night before… it’s… common sense

submissions posted are always tagged with your main blog url

please submit your italian exercises i’d love to help other people learning my own language!! ❤

recommended masterposts

resources for mentally ill students by me

studying when ill by @highschoolering

studying a foreign language by @areistotle

how to: self-study languages by @e-tudiante

language learning by @z-co

10 tips for studying foreign languages by @bonnestudies

learn things for free by @chaoticum​

study tips by @hermionegoals​

If you have any questions, my askbox is always open!!

Alla prossima! (See you next time)

#polyglot #language learning #languages #italian #resources

[polyglotpower]

learn foreign language alphabets

I came across this site which teaches you the alphabet for over 40 languages, with audio and it even lets you test yourself afterwards The site format is super simple and did I mention the 40+ languages!

#resources #language learning #polyglot

[polyglotpower]

hey there loves!!! this is a masterpost all about studying a foreign language. i’m learning spanish at a level [and began learning german a while back too] and these are some tips i picked up along my journey! hope they’ll be of help to you :]

why should i study a foreign language?

to learn about new cultures

so u can communicate with other people

and impress them too B-)

to have a different travel experience

to make friends with people from other countries

so you can develop confidence within yourself

it makes u smarter in a lot of ways!!!

makes u more employable

to study/live abroad

helps u become more open minded

etc.

some links to help you learn on your own

duolingo

memrise

babbel

tandem ~ talk to someone in your target language

languages masterpost

another language learning masterpost

check out my tags

spanish

spanish essay phrases

spanish checker

best online spanish dictionary and translator!!!!

learn maltese [my native language hello!!!!]

japanese

korean!!!

synonyms!!!

french checker

french grammar

french resources!!!!!!

another proof reading program

more language stuff ft. a lot of languages

top 25 youtube channels for learning languages

what more you can do for yourself

immerse yourself in the language everyday to make sure u stay consistent in ur studies of the language

keep a vocab notebook

make ur own notes!!!

start reading newspapers or articles online [go here and pick ur language. happy reading!!!]

LISTEN TO MUSIC IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE IT’S SUPER NICE!!!! [if u wanna ask me for recs i have some]

watch youtubers in the language ur studying!!!

watch tv shows in the language w/ subtitles [u might even find ur fav show online in a different language]

every little helps u

practice speaking it [even to yourself in a mirror]

+speak it aloud!!

try using the words u learn in ur everyday life

find a partner u can learn with, it makes life sooo much better!!!

don’t be afraid to make mistakes, it has to happen. nobody’s perfect!!

leave ur comfort zone, don’t be afraid to talk to people who speak the foreign language ur learning

LISTEN!!!! this helps u become familiar to the language

watch people talk, this helps w/ ur pronunciation

have fun with it!!! after all the swearing when u can’t get verbs right, it’s actually quite fun B-)

hope these tips + links help you out in your journey!! feel free to ask me anything you want to or request a masterpost yourself <3

#polyglot #languages #language learning #masterpost #resources #tips

[polyglotpower]

Hello! A lot of you have been asking me where and how I’ve learn multiple languages and well, after a few hours of digging through my browser history and bookmarks, I was able to collect all of these resources. I have personally used all of these, so I can assure you they are useful! If there is something wrong with a website or a link, please let me know. Also, if you have any questions or if you want a learning buddy, my ask box is open. (I speak English and Spanish. I’m learning Korean, German, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Italian, and Esperanto)

Note: Learning a new language requires a lot of dedication, more than you actually think! Especially if you’re learning multiple languages at the same time. It isn’t impossible, but it will take time. And by time I mean months and/or years! So please, be patient. Take your time. Don’t rush. Keep in mind that you will mess up and that’s okay. Practice as much as you can. Practice out loud. Talk to yourself if you can. It doesn’t matter if people think you’re crazy. They won’t be thinking the same when you become a polyglot, so don’t mind them. This is for you and your future.

Get started:

Everything listed below is FREE! Some sites do require you to sign up, but that’s for you to keep track of your own process.

Tips to get you started

Language Hacking tips (blog)

More language hacking tips (blog)

The Polyglot Project (Library with foreign books that lets you translate while reading)

How to Learn Any Language

Effective Language Learning

Ankidroid (flashcard maker)

Multiple languages, one website

Duolingo (Latin American Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Turkish, Norwegian (Bokmål), Ukrainian, and Esperanto)

BBC Languages (40 languages)

Learn A Language (18 languages)

Conjuguemos (French, German, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish)

L-lingo (21 languages)

101languages (167 languages)

Languagepod101 (31 languages)

Foreign Services Institute (44 languages)

My Languages (95 languages)

Surface Languages (43 languages)

Lingualia (Spanish)

Linguanaut (16 languages)

OmniGlot (All languages [basic info for some of them])

Memrise (Various languages) (flashcard system)

Livemocha (Various languages)

Polyglotclub

Sharedtalk

Interpals (specify in your profile you only look for language exchange because there can be some creeps in this one)

Couchsurfing

Babbel

Specific Languages

Korean:

Learn to read Korean in 15 minutes! - Really helpful as well

Learnkoreanlp - Focuses on grammar

k-is4korean

Talktomeinkorean

Learn-korean

korean-flashcards - Focuses on vocabulary

Easytolearnkorean

Korean.go.kr/ - Focuses on pronunciation

Lang-8 - Community to correct your entries

Dongsa - Conjugations for verbs

Howtostudykorean- EXTREMELY helpful when it comes to learning hangul and writing structure!

hangulpractice - This blog has some useful posts.

letstteok-korean

Talktomeinkorea (YouTube channel)

fluentkorean

sweetandtasty

seoulistic - For culture lessons

GenkiKorean

Korean Word Game

English-Korean Vocabulary Quizzes

Hangul Keyboard - This is also EXTREMELY helpful with Hangul/romanization. It also converts any romanized syllables into hangul

Korean - Reddit threat

Chinese/Mandarin:

Hackingchinese

Chinese-tools - Pretty helpful with pronunciation.

Chinese Open courseware

Chinese Language - Reddit threat

Chinese Textbook

Chineasy

Learn Mandarin

Chinese Hacks

yoyochinese

How can I learn Chinese

Why is Chinese so damn hard?

Japanese:

Learn Japanese I / II - YouTube

Guidetojapanese

Free Japanese lesson

Japaneseclass.jp

thejapanesepage

Japanesepod101

Tofugu

Erin’s Challenge!

Jplang

Yesjapan

Marugoto - Includes culture lessons

Kana Invaders - Fun game for learning Kana

Another great masterpost for Japanese - So many resources!!!

Esperanto:

Note: I did a research and supposedly Esperanto is an easy-to-learn language that helps you with other languages.

Esperantofre

Esperanto “library”

Esperanto Grammar

Esperanto (Duolingo)

German:

Learn German Online

German Language Guide

Mission Berlin - Mystery adventure game

Basic German

Deutsch Lernen

Slow German

Kids’ Games - For vocabulary

Italian:

MIT Open Courseware

Italian Language Guide

Italian Grammar

Italian For Beginners - YouTube

Latin:

Some Latin grammar

Latin Course - YouTube

Portuguese:

Oneness

Ta Falado

Portuguese (Duolingo)

French:

Learn French Guide

Coffee Break French

University of Texas: Francais interactif

Podcastfrancaisfacile

French Language Guide

Lingopolo/french

Le Journal en français facile

News in Slow French

Francolab

Cliffs Notes

Native French Speech

French Podcast

Spanish:

Spanish - About.com

@spanishskulduggery

Study Spanish

Cliffs Notes

Destinos

One Minute Spanish

One Minute Spanish (Latin America focused)

Thai:

Learn Thai Podcast

Woman Learn Thai

Let’s Talk Thai

Thai 101

Lingopolo/thai

Arabic:

Books to Learn Arabic

Mandinah Arabic

Arabic Verbs (PDF)

al3arabiya

Arabic Pronouns (PDF)

Arabic Alphabet / Also Here / And Here!

Arabic For Language Exchange

Peace Corps

Hindi:

A Door Into Hindi

Learning Hindi

NYU Hindi Course

Quillpad - Great for typing

Namaste Dosti

SU Hindi Course

ispeakhindi

Hindi Script

Vietnamese:

VietnamesePod101

Survival Phrases

seasite.niu.edu

Learn Vietnamese Online

Greek:

Some Greek Grammar (New Testament)

Romanian:

Rolang

One Minute Romanian

Welsh:

Say Something in Welsh

Welsh Vocab

Dutch:

Lingopolo/dutch

Learn Dutch

Russian:

Speak Russian

Russian Alphabet

Taste of Russian

Master Russian

Russian Open Courseware

Russian Handwriting

Swedish:

Klartext

SwedishLingQ

Survival Phrases

That’s it. That’s all I have right now. I’ll try to search for more and will keep updating this list! If you have a request for a specific language, just send me an ask. Have fun and good luck! 

#languages #polyglot #masterpost #resources