I love you languages I love you dialects I love you accents. I wish I spoke every language fluently so I could appreciate all the different accents and dialects
A Resource for Reading Practice: The Chinese Reading World
I wanted to share a resource for reading practice that I stumbled across recently. It’s called the Chinese Reading World, and it was a project led by the University of Iowa.
The site was put together from 2005 to 2008, so it’s not super up to date. However, there is a ton of content! Everything is sorted into 3 levels: beginning, intermediate, and advanced.
Each level has 30 units, and each unit has 10 lessons. The lessons begin with a vocab pre-test, then there is a reading with some comprehension questions. Lastly, there is a vocab post-test, which is the same as the initial test (at least for the lessons I’ve done so far). There’s audio for each lesson text, but unfortunately it can’t be streamed—you have to download it. There is also an achievement test at the end of each unit.
My experience has actually been that I already know all the words on the vocabulary tests, but the reading passages contain other words that I’m not familiar with.
So far, the readings I’ve encountered are not very long. This is nice since reading longer pieces can be frustrating at times. With shorter readings, you can just read 1 or 2 on some days and read more when you have more time/patience. I believe the readings are taken from Chinese newspapers.
Also, every unit has a theme. With 90 units total, there are bound to be themes that interest you.
Example unit topics:
Directions and Asking Direction 方向和问路
Sports and Outdoor Activities 体育和户外运动
Chinese Music and Musicians 中国音乐和音乐家
Chinese Minorities and Local Customs 地方习俗和民族风情
Chinese Sports and Olympic Games 体育和奥林匹克
Contemporary Chinese Literature and Writers 中国当代文学和作家
The 3 levels also each come with 5 proficiency tests. They seem to be based on vocabulary knowledge, so expanding your vocab is clearly a huge focus of this site. The only thing I’m unclear is about is I’m not sure exactly when the proficiency tests are meant to be taken. After completing all units? Or are they spaced out so you are supposed to take test 1 after the first few units, test 2 after the next few, etc.?
I’ve started working my way through the advanced section this week. With 300 advanced lessons alone, it really feels like I have an infinite number of articles to go through!
IG Accounts for Learning French / Spanish / Mandarin
FRENCH
@all.french -
Posts short stories / audio clips with French & English subtitles on screen
@french.toons -
Plays cartoon clips in French followed by the same clip in English
@lefrancaisaveclesmachin -
Posts reels consisting of a vocab word and example of it used in a sentence (cover slang and common expressions)
@fa_johan -
Posts language learning tips and reels on vocab words, all explained in French (suitable for more intermediate learners)
@linguiswaps_french -
Same as above, posts reels explaining vocab words and expressions in context, all in French
SPANISH
@espamundi -
(🇪🇸) Mainly makes reels on common grammar structures and text posts on common idioms
@spanishgitana -
(🇪🇸) Posts Spanish listening practice reels, using props and ‘acting out actions’ for visual support
@kylah__williams -
Posts mini vlog-like reels, switching between Spanish and English, and displaying vocab words on screen as she uses them
@howtospanish -
(🇲🇽) Posts a variety of content formats (vlog-like reels, audio lip-syncs, vocab in context) with Spanish & English subtitles on screen
@mexicanfluency -
(🇲🇽) Posts reels consisting of a vocab word and example of it used in a sentence (cover slang and common expressions)
MANDARIN
@easymandarinteacher -
Posts mini convos and interviews, chatting about different topics with others (include Mandarin & English subtitles on screen)
@chinesezerotohero -
Posts reels consisting of vocab and of it used in sentences and movie / TV show clips (cover common expressions)
@learnchinesewithun -
Posts mini clips from movies in Mandarin with pinyin, Mandarin character, and English subtitles on screen (include clip breakdowns to focus on major vocab words or expressions)
@voice.mq -
Posts short citations, read out loud to offer vocab learning, reading, and listening practice
@chinese.access -
Make text posts consisting of a vocab word and example of it used in a sentence (cover slang and common expressions)
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I recently stumbled upon some accounts for Chinese learning on insta (see above) and found that reels really are nice, bite-sized information sharing formats. I mostly follow accounts that teach words in context through reels for optimal language acquisition. I also searched for French and Spanish ones with a similar ‘in-context’ format. Feel free to add to the list above if you have recommendations! I recommend making a second insta account for following language-related pages if you use your current insta to keep up with friends and don’t want to inundate your feed with little bite-sized learning posts.
you know what’s really cool about learning a new language is that little by little you start understanding things and it’s not just “ksndlandowodbsla” when you hear someone talking in your target language it’s like “jdksdk-usted-foelfje-puntos-fjsodkspks-esta bien” and soon there won’t be any “jdksodld” it’ll all be smooth.
Just curious why your translation tag is called that?
It’s from a quote that I saw floating around on tumblr that decided to start living in my head full-time:
When the violin repeats what the piano has just played, it cannot make the same sounds and it can only approximate the same chords. It can however, make recognizably the same “music,” the same air. But it can do so only when it is faithful to the self-logic of the violin as it is to the self-logic of the piano.
Language too is an instrument, and each language has its own logic. I believe that the process of rendering from language to language is better conceived as a “transposition” than as a “translation,” for “translation” implies a series of word-for-word equivalents that do not exist across the language boundaries any more than piano sounds exist in the violin.
The notion of word-for-word equivalents also strikes me as false to the nature of poetry. Poetry is not made of words but of word-complexes, elaborate structures involving, among other things, denotations, connotations, rhythms, puns, juxtapositions, and echoes of the tradition in which the poet is writing. It is difficult in prose and impossible in poetry to juggle such a complex intact across the barrier of language. What must be saved, even at the expense of making four strings do for eighty-eight keys, is the total feeling of the complex, its gestalt.
Hi it’s werelivingarts and I’m back with some unique tips on learning foreign languages. I love learning Mandarin and Korean, and my foreign friends absolutely love it when I try to speak with them. ✨
Learning languages is tough but really fun. Remember that you need to set goals, such as by the end of today, I will finish studying the alphabet, not the simple “getting fluent” goal. It’s okay when things you first say are gibberish because you will certainly get better by learning your mistakes.
Here are just some extra weird ways to help you learn:
● Use region-specfic social media (Weibo for Chinese, Kakao Talk for Korean, Tuenti for Spanish, etc)
● Narrate in other languages as you commute (e.g. the mysterious man who wears brown cap-toe Oxfords just get his cats turn left and is now entering the supermarket)
● Read newspaper and magazine
● Change your phone language
● Get help from your native speaker friends
● Take notes in other languages
P/s: Do you have any useful methods to learn foreign languages? If yes, please share it down here 🤩⬇️
If you are thinking of quitting your language learning journey, this is a sign to keep going! There will be days when you’ll feel unmotivated, tired, and wonder if it’s even worth it. The day will pass!
Don’t let waves of unmotivation stop you from achieving your goals 🥺
In this post, I’m compiling the (free) resources, which I’ve been using to study Mandarin on my own, along with a few lines on how I’ve been getting the most out of them. I’ve basically developed a little routine for myself when it comes to using these to make sure I practice a bit of everything (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Hope these help in your Mandarin acquisition journey if you’re looking for complementary content outside of the classroom or for self-studying like me!
Reading & Writing
Yes! Chinese Reading (website)
Perapera Chinese Popup Dictionary (extension)
Yabla Chinese Dictionary (website)
How to use + more resources
So, I use all three simultaneously. Every other day, I try to read 1-3 stories from Yes! Chinese, with the Perapera extension turned on and Yabla opened in a second tab. When I stumble upon a new word in a story I’m reading, I’ll hover over it and, courtesy of the Perapera extension, the definition will appear like a pop-up below the mouse. If after reading the definition, I’m still confused about how the word is used, I’ll look it up on Yabla. What’s great about Yabla is that it often offers sentence examples and even links to pages on grammar points related to the word you’re looking up! After all that, I’ll write the word a couple of times on a white board to practice writing.
*example of Perapera in action
*example of Yabla entry with option to look at sentence examples (“Example Usage”) and pages on the grammar behind the word (“Grammar Notes”)
I think the Yes! Chinese stories are pretty entertaining and varied when reading those under the ‘Grown up’ level section. But, if you’re looking for more content to browse through, here’s a post I made with more free reading resources: post.
Listening
Learn Chinese With Movies (YT)
Everyday Chinese (YT)
Meditation for Chinese Learners (YT)
Cdramas & Music (YT)
How to use
Quick description of what each of these resources have to offer: Learn Chinese with Movies is a channel in which movie and TV show scenes are played with subtitles, broken down based on important grammar points and vocab, and then played again without subtitles. Everyday Chinese has a lot of videos on both learning Chinese and on learning about Chinese culture. Meditation for Chinese Learners offers meditation videos in Chinese for different levels. Cdramas and music are a great way to immerse yourself in the language. Although it may not be the best way to learn new words for beginners (trying to learn new words this way can feel like trying to drink water from a fire hose), it’s a great way to get a feel for the pronunciation of words and to gauge your progress as you learn more vocab.
Speaking
HelloTalk (app - w/ feature restrictions in free version)
How to use
HelloTalk is a language exchange app. It has a text, call, and video call feature along with a feed that everyone can contribute to posting to. So, it’s reminiscent of Facebook but like, for language learning.
Disclaimer on this one though: I saw comments on Reddit that apparently voice calling is turning into a VIP feature that you have to pay for if you make an account now and/or you have to pay fees when making international calls after having made a certain amount unless you pay for the premium subscription. I tried looking into the fine print and didn’t find anything + I haven’t been affected, but it may be because it’s only affecting recent subscribers to the app (?). I just thought it worth mentioning!
I had a penpal from Greece in high school. She had the neatest handwriting ever. She taught me a bunch of basic stuff, and it got to the point that we’d write our letters almost exclusively in Greek (a big deal, as this was before Google Translate was even a thing).
Cut to junior year of college. I took Classical Greek as part of my degree, and I was feeling like I had a leg up over my classmates, whose Greek handwriting looked like kindergarten chicken scratch, while mine was smooth and quick. I turned in my first assignment feeling pretty damn proud of myself.
About three assignments later, my professor pulled me aside with the goofiest look on his face…
“I appreciate the effort, but…”
You remember that phase I think all little girls go through in middle school/junior high? Where we have swirly tails on our G’s or our Y’s get all swoopy, or we dot all our I’s with little hearts?
Yeah…
Turns out, all the perfect little flourishes I’d been putting on my letters were not, in fact, part of the letters at all. My penpal had just still been in that phase when she taught me the alphabet!
dailybridgerton
prguitarman
discoholicmusic
romaincrisis
janainaart
2087
kaledo-art
germansingergirl
