YOU ARE THE REASON
Jules of Nature
Cosimo Galluzzi
Janaina Medeiros
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Three Goblin Art
titsay
Misplaced Lens Cap
Sweet Seals For You, Always
Andulka
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
Product Placement
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NASA
KIROKAZE
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
styofa doing anything
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@bigcityscholar
먹다 - To Eat
뭘 먹고 싶어요? - What do you want to eat?
…먹고 싶어요 - I want to eat…
밥 먹었어요? - Have you eaten?
먹자 - Let’s eat
잘 먹겠습니다 - I will eat well
잘 먹었습니다 - I ate well
맛있어요 - Delicious
배고파요 - I’m hungry
시장 - Market
식당 - Restaurant
과일 - Fruit
복숭아 - Peach
수박 - Watermelon
바나나 - Banana
야채 - Vegetable
고구마 - Sweet potato
밥 - Food/Rice
음식 - Food
빵 - Bread
김밥 - Seaweed rice roll
김치 - Kimchi
라면 - Ramen
떡볶이 - Spicy rice cake
빙수 - Korean shaved ice
피자 - Pizza
케이크 - Cake
초콜릿 - Chocolate
🍭 A&R 🍭
House Related Vocabulary in Korean
집 - house, home 창문 - window 문 - door 지붕 - roof 벽 - wall 천장 - ceiling 바닥 - floor 거실 - living room 가구 - furniture 의자 - chair 소파 - couch, sofa 커튼 - curtain 침실 - bedroom 안방 - master bedroom 침대 - bed 베개 - pillow 담요 - blanket 책상 - desk 책꽂이 - bookshelf 옷장 - wardrobe, closet 욕실 - bathroom 욕조 - bathtub 변기 - toilet 거울 - mirror 주방 - kitchen 싱크대 - sink 탁자 - table 냉장고 - fridge 냉동고 - freezer 오븐 - oven 가스레인지 - gas stove 전자레인지 - microwave 식기세척기 - dishwasher 차고 - garage 지하실 - basement 정원 - garden 세탁실 - laundry room 세탁기 - washing machine 건조기 - dryer 빨래 - laundry
감정 - Emotions
잘 지냈어요? - Have you been well?
잘 있었어요? - Have you been well?
기분이 어때요? - How do you feel?
요즘 저는 슬퍼요 - These days I’m sad
오늘 저는 행복하고 만족해요 - Today I am happy and content
슬프다 - To be sad
아프다 - To be sick
졸리다 - To be sleepy
힘들다 - To be hard
신나다 - To be excited
놀라다 - To be surprised
무섭다 - To be scared
부럽다 - To be envious
외롭다 - To be lonely
만족하다 - To be satisfied/content
행복하다 - To be happy
건강하다 - To be healthy
배고프다 - To be hungry
피곤하다 - To be tired
짜증나다 - To be annoyed
걱정하다 - To be worried
부끄럽다 - To be embarrassed
섭섭하다 - To be disappointed
답답하다 - To be frustrated
화가나다 - To be angry
심심하다 - To be bored (with nothing to do)
지루하다 - To be bored (of doing something)
Irregular conjugations
✨A&R✨
Korean Slang/Common Expressions:
This is a list of all the slang that I know and have used when speaking Korean. But this isn’t a full list of all slang in Korean. There are tons that I don’t know, but I will guarantee, that if you use these to a Korean person, they will most likely be surprised that a foreigner knows Korean slang. Without further adieu, let’s go!
Food: ♡ 일차 - first round ♡ 이차 - second round ♡ 삼차 - third round ♡ 맛점 - delicious lunch ♡ 아점 - brunch (아침 + 점심) ♡ 맥날 - mcdonalds ♡ 스벅 - starbucks ♡ 먹방 - mukbang (aka eating show)
People: ♡ 남사친 - friend who’s a guy (남자 + 사람 + 친구) ♡ 여사친 - friend who’s a girl ♡ 남친 - boyfriend (남자친구) ♡ 여친 - girlfriend ♡ 붕아빵 - two people who look alike (kind of like doppelgänger) ♡ 변태 - pervert (usually used for older men) ♡ 몸짱 - great body (direc. body best) ♡ 얼짱 - great face (direc. face best) ♡ 금사빠 - someone who falls easily ♡ 바람둥이 - player
Expressions: ♡ 짱! - amazing! ♡ 아싸! - yay! ♡ 헐 - oh my god… ♡ 대박 - awesome! ♡ 우와 / 와 - wow! ♡ 아! - ouch! ♡ 어머 - oh my
Feelings: ♡ 꿀잼 - really funny (재밌어요) ♡ 노잼 - not funny ♡ 웃프다 - funny but sad ♡ 근자감 - a lot of self confidence ♡ 멘붕 - mental breakdown ♡ 케미 - chemistry (for lovebirds)
Other: ♡ 낼 - tomorrow ♡ 짐 - now ♡ 담 - next ♡ 첨 - first ♡ 넘 - very ♡ 좀 - a little ♡ 울 - we ♡ 걍 - just ♡ 어케 - how ♡ 글고 - and ♡ 젤 - most, best ♡ 먄 - sorry ♡ 글쿤 - I see ♡ 알써 - I understand ♡ 몰겠어 - I don’t know
Animals!!! 🐕🕊🐎🐄🐀🐻🐑🐍🐓🦀🐖🦌🦒🦁🐼🐇🐺🦊🦆🐈🐒🐘🐅🦓🐿🐸🐢🐬
colors in korean
색깔 // color
빨간(색) // red
주황색 // orange
노란(색) // yellow
초록색 // green
파란(색) // blue
보라색 // violet
분홍색 // pink
갈색 // brown
금색 // gold
은색 // silver
하얀(색) // white
회색 // grey
검은(색) // black
practice on quizlet
Japanese Textbooks You Must Have Plus Free Resources!
Hey guys had to re-upload this post! I know that you guys don’t want to hear my flapping and just wanna get to the goods! Before you scroll down, let me just quickly say that these materials are based on my own experiences buying and ditching textbooks and cds for like six years!! Everything I’m about to tell you is the best of the best that I could find (but this isn’t a complete list)! In other words, I didn’t pull this stuff out of my ass. I’m actually serious about how awesome this stuff is. So without further ado, the Japanese learning must-haves!
Japanese the Manga Way
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JfL0O4
I absolutely LOVE this textbook! It makes Japanese learning super fun, but more importantly it is EXTREMELY useful if you want to learn how to read, not just Manga but anything. It introduces Japanese grammar, politeness levels and ending particles in a way that isn’t totally confusing and ridiculous. This is a must have for any serious Japanese learner.
Kodansha’s Japanese Workbooks
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2M1fX6l
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JhLUpb
If you are just starting Japanese, these workbooks are the knees of the bees for learning Katakana and Hiragana. It was a real nightmare for me to learn these for real, but this book introduced each character and had plenty of practice for each one. There are also pre-made flashcards in the back for extra practice. These books are just a no brainer!
Genkouyoushi Notebooks
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JkCCst
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JieOd2
Okay, this isn’t a textbook, but it is an essential part of your Japanese study. Just like children in grade school, you’ll need a specific kind of notebook to help you study Japanese Kanji. Genkouyoushi paper is exactly that. It’s a grid notebook made to make it easier for you to practice writing Kanji!
Shadowing: Let’s Speak Japanese (Intermediate Version)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Jean2T
Okay, this is an audio based program with minimal grammatical explanations, but hear me out. It is an extremely effective way to learn to speak Japanese. Based on the US State Department, the best way to train interpreters is a method called shadowing. In other words, you listen to a native speaker and repeat what they say over and over until your ears bleed and your mouth goes dry. Does it work? YES! I have personally used this method for over 4 years and it has NEVER failed me. Just keep in mind that you will need to do self research on grammatical points, but otherwise this book is gold. They have a beginner to intermediate and an intermediate to advanced version on Amazon.
Free Resources!!!!!
Okay so now the fun part. The free stuffffff! I have compiled all the free crap I have (including textbooks, organizers, trackers, and audio lessons) into a Google Drive folder that I am happy to share with you! Just visit the link and take what cha need! Keep in mind that I’m constantly adding new stuff! You’re welcome! :)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OON3GcJItSJ-4LWwWZNrstMi5SS_emMZ
Pronouns in Portuguese
Pronomes (pessoais) em Português :D
I - eu you (singular) - tu / você he - ele she - ela it - isso (but “it’s” is in many cases translated to “é”) we - nós you (plural “y’all”) - vocês (or vós, but it’s fallen into disuse) they - eles/elas
625 words to know: Portuguese
What is pitch accent? Like anything I see is basically saying this is high pit he'd and then it gets low and I don't get it. Like, it sounds weird whenever I attempt to pronounce it that way bc it sounds so unnatural. Do you have an advice/tips on this?
Pitch accent helps Japanese people distinguish words (even though chopsticks, bridge, and edge are all はし, their pitch allows Japanese people to distinguish between them outside of context).
It works similarly to the way English speakers have stresses that allow us to differentiate words – white house and White House are not said the same in a sentence such as “The White House is a white house.” The difference is subtle, but to a native speaker it makes or breaks how natural a sentence sounds.
So let’s continue with the はし example.
はし（端）edge
はし（橋）bridge
はし（箸）chopsticks
In this example, 端 carries no stress and can thus be described as accent-less. However, 橋 will have a slight uptake on the end when you say し, and in contrast 箸 will start higher and slip down when you say し.
This is also the case with sushi. American English pronounces sushi with the stress on the “su,” like sushi. It’s kind of a hard punch in the beginning and then we fade. However, in Japanese, the pitch is on the “shi” portion, so it’s actually more like すし, and it’s not a stress but a pitch.
The difference is subtle, and it’s not a tone in your voice. There is a reason that Japanese often sounds a bit like a wave, or “lyrical,” and it’s because their language is constantly moving up and down in pitch while they speak. Your voice doesn’t get louder, nor does your voice get “higher” or “lower,” but instead it simply pitches slightly upward or slightly downward or not at all.
My #1 tip to master this is to listen to Japanese spoken naturally and try to mimic it. When you’re having a conversation with someone in real time, you’re not going to be thinking “Am I pitching my words right?!” You should just be speaking, and if you’ve already practiced then you won’t have a problem.
I’d also recommend taking a look at Dogen’s YouTube series on Japanese pitch accent. He does a great job explaining how pitch accent works in Japanese and why it’s important to learn it! Japanese isn’t a flat language just because it doesn’t have stress or tone; it’s moving up and down too!
Please pay attention to Japanese pitch accent and don’t ignore it even though most textbooks don’t teach it or even talk about it! It’s hugely important to making your Japanese sound more natural, and it’ll help get rid of the accent you have on Japanese from your native tongue.
Too many times the Spanish language is subjected to a barbaric butchering of its beautiful sound and its harmonious structure. Growing up in the United States I would often hear Spanish being spoken by non-Spanish speakers in a mocking, almost dismissive, way. Luckily, nowadays, there seems to be more of a push for truth. This is my contribution towards that truth.
HOW NOT TO SOUND LIKE A GRINGO WHEN SPEAKING SPANISH
1. NO PROBLEMO
No. Sandwiching an English noun between an el and a letter O, does not make it Spanish; nor is it ingenious anymore. Seen it. Heard it. Next.
2. MI CASA ES SU CASA
This one is sweet. It implies that Latino households are warm and hospitable. This is very true, however, Latinos don’t have to say this because it’s implied! The closest I’ve ever heard to this phrase is: Estás en tu casa. For example; if you ask to use the restroom at someone’s home, they might say: Claro, estás en tu casa. This means, “Of course, you’re in your own home.”
3. MUY CALIENTE!
You might say this if the soup burned your tongue, but never is it used to describe someone’s sex appeal. Spanish has a million and one ways of expressing attraction towards someone. Two of the most commonly used phrases are “¡Qué guapo/a!” and “¡Qué chulo/a!”
4. RAPIDO, RAPIDO! ANDALE, ANDALE! ARRIBA, ARRIBA!
<Sigh> I won’t mention that cartoon mouse as it’s way before the average Tumblr user’s time. However, I have noticed that The Amazing Race contestants love to yell “rapido, rapido!” at taxi drivers from Spanish-speaking countries. I understand where they’re coming from, and I don’t blame them, but this is plain rude. Say this instead: ¿Puede ir un poco más deprisa, por favor?
5. NO COJONES
If you want to tell someone they have no balls, tell them in English! Don’t veil your contempt for someone by misusing the Spanish language. A common way of saying this accurately is: No tienes agallas. It’s strong without being vulgar.
6. COMPRENDE?!
The condescending use of “comprende” when a Spanish speaker does not understand something is the height of humiliation. Try getting some help. If you actually do speak Spanish, there’s another way of saying this: ¿Me hago entender?
7. HASTA LA VISTA
I’ve never heard any Spanish speakers ever say this. Along with adiós, “hasta la vista” is seriously misused and abused. Read my previous post on other ways of saying adiós by clicking <HERE>.
8. AMIGO
Yes, Spanish-speaking people are friendly, but that does not make them your amigo. Wait for them to call you “mi parce” or “mi compa” before you reciprocate. True amigos don’t call each other amigo.
9. NO BUENO
This popular phrase is incorrect on so many levels. At best, it sounds like a phrase that a Spanish-speaker might put together during early infancy. To learn the different ways to express that something is not good click <HERE>.
8 : amigo isn’t really used where am from but insted people would say hermano , mijo , tio , to strangers ! You don’t have to be friends.
Then again , it depends on where you are !
What To Do When You Just Can’t Understand Native Speakers
I hope you guys are ready, because I’m about to keep it real. You know the most frustrating thing in the world? When you’ve shed blood, sweat and tears into studying a language only to find that when you get in front of a native speaker, you have no idea what the hell is going on! This has happened to me on a number of occasions. My language learning app or program has led me into delulu land by making me think I was a certain level and achieved certain status through showing a big fat CONGRATULATIONS and a gold medal to indicate that my language level has improved so greatly. I was so confident. Then when someone tried speaking to me at a natural pace, the X-Files song would play and I would stare as if they were speaking an alien language and hieroglyphs where coming out of their mouth.
No matter where we are in our language study, this has happened to all of us at some point. Perhaps even multiple times. Perhaps even enough times for you to consider quitting whatever language you’re studying. Well, don’t quit because having trouble understanding native speakers is as common as sliced bread in the language learning community. Don’t quit- learn. Let me say that again. Don’t quit- learn. Are you not understanding because they’re going too fast, consume more natural paced media, are you not understanding because you don’t understand the words, learn more commonly used vocabulary.
This gap between our language study and actual native speakers highlights a huge issue. Our language study is not adequately teaching us how the language is actually spoken. If you are using a textbook like Berlin or even an online program like Rocket Language, you will find that there is a HUGE disconnect from your studies and the way the language is spoken. Even though Rocket Language is conversation based, 80 percent of the lessons is in English. This really isn’t that helpful to you as a language learner. And you should always be looking to minimize the amount of English you hear during your language learning. What that being said, here are the tips I have for improving your listening comprehension skills.
Keep reading
Hey guys, so instead of a long drawn on post, I’ve made an easy to read version of how to begin studying Asian languages through pictures! Yay!!!! Everything is really straight forward and easy but let me know if you have any questions!
Tips to study in one week or less
Exams and finals are fast approaching for many people and we’ve all been in a place where we have too much to study and too little time to do it. I am an avid procrastinator so more often than not, I let all material build up in my desk and then I stress out to go over everything before the exam! Fear no more! I have the perfect formula for you!
Stop procrastinating! Going through productivity/study tips youtube videos or studyblrs is not going to do the work for you. Stop obsessing about it, leave your phone out of your study space and organize everything you have to do.
Make a list with all the chapters/topics you have to study. That way you can have a notion of everything you should know. Once you get over them, you can cross them out and feel productive enough to keep going. Trust me, that feeling is one of the best when you are studying!
Study smart, not hard — Understand what are the most important ones and focus on those. If you have little time, there is no way you can go over every material (if it’s too much like usually happens in college/uni) and also, no professor will question everything with the same detail in the exam.
Distribute the amount of material for the amount of days you have — leave at least 2 out. It’s important to organize the material during the amount of time you have so you don’t get too lazy in one day and then stress too much over the many things you have to study on another. Evaluate well what might take longer or not and if it doesn’t work as planned, adjust your plan in the end of the study day. The last two days before the exam are important to leave free for revisions and exam preparation.
In those last 2 days, test yourself. It can be previous exams from previous years (they’re the best option), tests online, quizzes with a friend. Exams from previous years are my favourite option - professors aren’t very original so it’s highly possibly that they will repeat questions. The line of questions are also very similar and even if there aren’t many repeated, at least you already know the basis. Tests online similar to what your professors use are also a good option as well as quiz a friend and vice versa, however, this last option might take longer and not work in little time. If you work well with a study buddy, testing each other would be beneficial for both.
REVIEW ONLY what you’re less prepared for, what you did wrong in the tests, what professors ask the most. If you don’t have enough time, you don’t want to waste it reviewing what you already know. If you know, you know. Believe and trust yourself!!
Don’t stress yourself, it will be alright. Stressing over little time can be a good pressure and motivator but too much can do the opposite effect and that’s not your intention. Find a balance, use your study breaks well enough to rest and relax so you won’t be too overwhelmed in the middle of an afternoon and do nothing the rest of the day.
GET A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE. You can wake up earlier to review but make sure you have at least 7 hours of sleep that night. Sleeping well the night before the exam is essencial for your brain to process everything you’ve studied. It will also allow your brain to be fresh and ready to work by the time you take the exam. If you are too tired from an all nighter, your brain will be tired and not work as quick and efficient as you need it.
Trust yourself. It doesn’t matter the amount of time you had, you still know the material. If you believe in yourself, you’re halfway passed!! You have to remind yourself that you did the best you could with the time you had. As long as you know that, you’ll feel so much lighter and the exam will go so much better. And if it doesn’t, you won’t feel guilty because you know you gave your best. In college/university, we never know everything or get out of an exam feeling like we scored the best grade ever.
derive your fantasy settings from somewhere other than medieval europe you cowards
apart from anything else it gives you the chance to read some world history from parts of the world that aren’t europe and that shit is non-stop fun
some to start you off:
the an lushan rebellion (and literally all chinese imperial court drama makes european political machination look totally pathetic)
the trưng sisters
the battle of tondibi (and literally the entire fall of the songhai empire to the morrocan invaders)
the hajj of mansa musa (the richest man of all history)
kublai khan’s repeated and failed attempts to invade japan
the maurya empire
this isn’t even stretching to like, russia, southern africa, the pacific, or anywhere in the americas yet?
c’mon man don’t you wanna base a fantasy story on patachuti?
THE TRUNG SISTERS THO
HAVE A FEW IDEAS FOR FANTASY SETTINGS FROM KOREAN FOLKLORE AND HISTORY:
The “Imjin War” - Japan’s 16th century invasion of Korea. Particularly the tale of Admiral Yi Sun Shin, a common guard-post commander who rose to prominence as Korea’s greatest admiral, who once defeated a contingent of 400+ Japanese ships (admittedly mostly troop transports) with 13 warships, was betrayed by spies within his own court, and clawed his way back to power in time to turn back the Japanese invasion of Korea.
The Hwarang (Flower Knights) - A bunch of pretty-boy warriors from the 7th century onwards, renowned just as much for their attractive looks as well as their loyalty and skill in the arts of battle. Their entire Wikipedia article reads like mlm fuel from the fevered mind of fangirls.
The Amheng-Osa - Joseon-Era secret inspectors who posed as common travelers to investigate corruption among government officials and abuses of the populace. Famously figures into the “Tale of Chunhyang,” about a virtuous Korean girl who resists the advances of a corrupt nobleman and is eventually rescued from her plight by her true love, who happens to have been promoted into one of these guys while they were apart.
And no history of Korea would be complete without talking about King Sejong, the guy so beloved and respected by Korean historians that they always call him King Sejong the Great - A guy who developed an entirely new writing system that even the common people could learn, largely supplanting the older system that could only be used by the very wealthy and highly educated. A guy who used that new writing system to spread knowledge of farming techniques among the people and increase literacy among the population.
Now, remember that a lot of fictional magic systems rely on “runes” and “glyphs,” and imagine what would happen to a society where magic had always been the province of only the wealthy scholars… and the turmoil that society might undergo if a new system of magic that could be learned by anyone was being distributed to the common folks who could now use magic for every day things…
Do you know these times when you’re sitting in front of your textbook, trying to learn these boring af vocabs you’ve seen 1000 times but still can’t remember and just wish to do something different (or hoping that the world explodes so you can at least stop)?
Well, there are more ways to learn a language and I think because we just learned how we “should” learn a language at school, we’re limited in creativity. Thanks to school it’s hard to think outside of this “textbook, vocab lists, tests, etc.” stuff but there are ENDLESS things you can do to learn a language. Remember: everything you do in your native language, you can try to do in your target language!
This is for all the people who are tired and exhausted, who are thinking about quitting or don’t have fun with their target language anymore. DON’T YOU DARE TO GIVE UP! YOU’VE COME SO FAR!
_____________________________________________ Examples for different ways of learning a language:
write a diary
summarise an article about a topic you like (cooking, fitness, etc.)
listen to a podcast/radio
listen to music (while reading the lyrics)
try to sing along with music
read out loud while reading a book/magazine/blog/etc.
watch movies/series/videos
record videos in your target language or about how studying is going (progress, problems, etc.)
write a blog (well hello there :))
use apps that make it more fun (duolingo, memrise, lingodeer)
chat with native speakers
actually talk to native speakers ( I know what a crazy idea)
read websites about things you’re interested in
use social media only available in your target language
change the language of your smartphone
change the language of your pc
change the language of your life
play games in your target language (like not necessarily for learning it, I mean just playing a normal game IN your target language)
take online lessons with teachers that make you forget you’re learning
do a challenge! (I love this one so much)
find a learning group
be active in forums (no matter about language learning or a forum in your target language)
find a language exchange partner. (You should, seriously.)
watch lessons on youtube
read a (children-)book (with audio)
talk to yourself
think in your target language (a fun way is to tell a story about your life while it’s happening like “I went down the road with a stranger always behind me, who could it be? What does he want? It got quite… too quite. I tried to keep calm but was it really a coincidence? All in the middle of nowhere?” I know I’m bad at this but I hope you get what I mean, think of it like reading a book.)
learn vocabs with pictures, type in the word you want to know and ONLY look for pictures, try to feel the word. If you google for “strawberry” (in your target language and don’t know what it means) look at the pictures, the colours, how could it smell? Make a sentence with the new word. When was the last time you ate it? How was it?
Write a story/book online or just for yourself.
Make a mindmap
Use a topic jar (a jar where you put in notes with different topics on it, you take one every day and write/talk about it)
use social media to find groups interested in learning a new language or your target language
translate texts and act like you’re a famous translator who’s the only person on earth who can translate your target language (for example if you’re reading articles about historical stuff, act like you’re the only one who can find out what happened back then and the whole world is counting on you!)
try to solve random online tests
listen to a song/audiobook/whatever and write down what you hear
search for words you want to learn and build up (funny!) sentences with them or even whole stories
read comics/mangas/etc.
search for receipts in your target language and pray to god you’re doing it right… if not, well you won’t forget the vocab again. Win-win situation. :p
search for language learning groups near your living place and actually meet them (stay safe and check everything before)
listen to children songs (I still remember the first children song I learned in English lessons… like… 11 years ago in 5th grade) these songs are supposed to stick… *cough* head shoulders knees and toes knees and toes *cough* sorry where was I?
connect with language learners over Skype (useful groups of course like German trying to learn French, Frenchman trying to learn Turkish, Turk trying to learn German)
write a list (you know… like I do right know so I don’t forget English)
describe things you see (more fun with a partner)
teach your target language to others
listen to audio while sleeping
take notes in your target language (I don’t mean for grammar rules or something like that, I mean notes you would take in your native language anyway)
write a letter (so much better than an e-mail)
write an e-mail (who has time for letters)
learn rimes
learn jokes (it’s also useful for social interaction)
talk to your pets (at least if they listen to you, if I start to talk to my cat she starts yelling into my face)
translate songs and learn the vocab of it so you have more fun listening to it later
think about a topic and write down every word you can think of and then translate them into your target language
Do you know these times when you’re sitting in front of your textbook, trying to learn these boring af vocabs you’ve seen 1000 times but still can’t remember and just wish to do something different (or hoping that the world explodes so you can at least stop)?
Well, there are more ways to learn a language and I think because we just learned how we “should” learn a language at school, we’re limited in creativity. Thanks to school it’s hard to think outside of this “textbook, vocab lists, tests, etc.” stuff but there are ENDLESS things you can do to learn a language. Remember: everything you do in your native language, you can try to do in your target language!
This is for all the people who are tired and exhausted, who are thinking about quitting or don’t have fun with their target language anymore. DON’T YOU DARE TO GIVE UP! YOU’VE COME SO FAR!
_____________________________________________ Examples for different ways of learning a language:
write a diary
summarise an article about a topic you like (cooking, fitness, etc.)
listen to a podcast/radio
listen to music (while reading the lyrics)
try to sing along with music
read out loud while reading a book/magazine/blog/etc.
watch movies/series/videos
record videos in your target language or about how studying is going (progress, problems, etc.)
write a blog (well hello there :))
use apps that make it more fun (duolingo, memrise, lingodeer)
chat with native speakers
actually talk to native speakers ( I know what a crazy idea)
read websites about things you’re interested in
use social media only available in your target language
change the language of your smartphone
change the language of your pc
change the language of your life
play games in your target language (like not necessarily for learning it, I mean just playing a normal game IN your target language)
take online lessons with teachers that make you forget you’re learning
do a challenge! (I love this one so much)
find a learning group
be active in forums (no matter about language learning or a forum in your target language)
find a language exchange partner. (You should, seriously.)
watch lessons on youtube
read a (children-)book (with audio)
talk to yourself
think in your target language (a fun way is to tell a story about your life while it’s happening like “I went down the road with a stranger always behind me, who could it be? What does he want? It got quite… too quite. I tried to keep calm but was it really a coincidence? All in the middle of nowhere?” I know I’m bad at this but I hope you get what I mean, think of it like reading a book.)
learn vocabs with pictures, type in the word you want to know and ONLY look for pictures, try to feel the word. If you google for “strawberry” (in your target language and don’t know what it means) look at the pictures, the colours, how could it smell? Make a sentence with the new word. When was the last time you ate it? How was it?
Write a story/book online or just for yourself.
Make a mindmap
Use a topic jar (a jar where you put in notes with different topics on it, you take one every day and write/talk about it)
use social media to find groups interested in learning a new language or your target language
translate texts and act like you’re a famous translator who’s the only person on earth who can translate your target language (for example if you’re reading articles about historical stuff, act like you’re the only one who can find out what happened back then and the whole world is counting on you!)
try to solve random online tests
listen to a song/audiobook/whatever and write down what you hear
search for words you want to learn and build up (funny!) sentences with them or even whole stories
read comics/mangas/etc.
search for receipts in your target language and pray to god you’re doing it right… if not, well you won’t forget the vocab again. Win-win situation. :p
search for language learning groups near your living place and actually meet them (stay safe and check everything before)
listen to children songs (I still remember the first children song I learned in English lessons… like… 11 years ago in 5th grade) these songs are supposed to stick… *cough* head shoulders knees and toes knees and toes *cough* sorry where was I?
connect with language learners over Skype (useful groups of course like German trying to learn French, Frenchman trying to learn Turkish, Turk trying to learn German)
write a list (you know… like I do right know so I don’t forget English)
describe things you see (more fun with a partner)
teach your target language to others
listen to audio while sleeping
take notes in your target language (I don’t mean for grammar rules or something like that, I mean notes you would take in your native language anyway)
write a letter (so much better than an e-mail)
write an e-mail (who has time for letters)
learn rimes
learn jokes (it’s also useful for social interaction)
talk to your pets (at least if they listen to you, if I start to talk to my cat she starts yelling into my face)
translate songs and learn the vocab of it so you have more fun listening to it later
think about a topic and write down every word you can think of and then translate them into your target language
Before I begin: sorry for my long break. I’m back and changed my profile picture (in case you have no idea who on earth you are following here) and my template… and also my header for my posts so… you know… everything. But now let’s start. :)
This time I want to make it short, so here are 26 study tips for learning a foreign language.
Study every day. Even if you just study 5 minutes, that’s important for your progress. 17 minutes every day is FAR BETTER than two hours on one day of the week.
Learn the most important 100-300 words.
Use good apps/websites for your target language. Take the time to find out which apps and websites work best for you.
Watch movies, series and videos in your target language. If needed turn on subtitles.
Write a little text every day. For example a diary entry.
IMPORTANT: Practice speaking right from the BEGINNING!
Try to live your language as much as you can. You should do everything you can in your target language. Think about what you do in your native language and then try to do it in the language you want to learn.
Change the language on your social media websites.
Change the language on your smartphone.
Read books for children if normal books are too difficult for you.
Study vocabs you just can’t keep in mind with apps extra for this problem.
Find a chat group in your target language. More people, more fun.
Try to think in your target language, even if you’re quite new to it. For example learn the numbers and use your target language for counting.
Make a plan for learning. (Yeah that came a little bit late lol)
Find out which learning type you are. Seriously don’t skip this. You really, really, really should know that! It will make things so much easier!
Use new words as soon as you can. For example when chatting with your language exchange partner: replace every word you can with your new vocab.
Write a list with big and (IMPORTANT) small goals (!!!)
Listen to music while reading the lyrics, even if you don’t understand it.
Read a book and listen to the audio version of it.
Write a diary in your target language.
Talk to yourself. Who could be more interesting? :p
Write a list with rewards for reaching your goals.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS! You will need this when hitting a plateau.
Search for apps/websites that are only available in your target language and use them.
Use a calendar with your goals and progress on it.
Use image search for hard vocabs. Try to get a connection to this word. Done. I hope some of these tips help you. :) PS: Sorry for mistakes but my new notebook marks every English word as wrong.
