#lang tips

[michelle-languages]

Some tips to improve your English

Stick with one useful resource to study grammar and my favorite one is the Oxford Learner’s Grammar

Use Italki feature called “Notebook” and write entries about anything you want (see Pinterest for some inspo) and you’ll receive corrections by native speakers, super useful to improve your writing skills

Tandem and Hello Talk are perfect to practice your speaking, English native speakers are EVERYWHERE! Don’t be afraid and use only voice messages

To improve your pronunciation I highly recommend to check out some basic linguistic knowledge because it makes easier, this helped me a lot and I highly recommend to check @maripolyglot YouTube video about it

WORK ON YOUR VOCABULARY! Type “English vocabulary or vocab list” in the search field. You’ll thank me later~

Translate, translate, translate. With translation you adapt grammar concepts into your own native language, this actually helps making connection and boost your confidence

[polemicandcontent]

some language don’ts

you always see language do’s - but not some ‘non- or anti-advice’

1. grammar is important, but often only the basics. once you get past general sentence construction, future/past tenses, its often more academic than practical. (plus you can pick a lot up by simply reading and figuring out, or translating/using a dictionary).

2. similar to above - vocab is key. but, with this - look at the top 1000, 2000 or even 5000 words and get into those

3. think you can speak as well as you can in your native language. seems obvious, but we all can get very disappointed when we can’t express ourselves exactly right, or even at all. what i do, is ‘how old am i in this language?’ - i.e. am i at the level of a toddler, an 8 yr old, a 12 yr old? 

4. focus (purposefully or not) on one aspect - i.e. writing, reading, speaking, listening. remember active skills: writing/speaking VS passive skills: listening/reading. 

5. focusing on getting rid of your accent - this is nowhere near as important as correct pronunciation. they’re not the same skill.

6. direct translation while reading. in the beginning you need to do this, obviously, but don’t try and work it out word by word. sometimes by the next sentence you’ll understand by context clues (i recommend simply highlighting words that you don’t understand, then get back to it).

7. thinking that app-based learning is the way to go. easy? yes. fairly reliable? yes. routine-based? yes. but ultimately they’ll give you very regular and often formal ways of speaking that aren’t natural, and will seem disjointed when you actually start to express yourself (i’m looking at duolingo and memrise, here)

[goldenapplespie]

days of the week in portuguese

sunday : domingo

monday : segunda-feira

tuesday : terça-feira

wednesday : quarta-feira

thursday : quinta-feira

friday : sexta-feira

saturday : sábado

[anxiousgoldengirl]

Tips to start reading a book in your target language

● Choose easy books Shorts and easy books are the best option for starters. For sure you don't wanna read Game of Thrones in your target language. ● Read books that you've already read A known-story facilitates the reading of a non-fluent language. ● Read in e-readers It's great ‘cause you can use dictionary and translator by one touch. I'd recommend Kindle and Moon Reader. ● Don't translate every word Try to find the context of the word, if you don't, translate. Don't make your reading massive. ● Make the lecture a habit Read everyday anytime you can, just as your native language. ● Don't wait! Don't way to be in a intermediate level, you can start the reading being a beginner (there's tales and short stories for beginners) ● Think in your target language It's kinda hard, I know, but it's necessary. Think on that language while reading, otherwise it won't help that much. Bonus: WordReference - a great online/app dictionary-translator My dictionary - a great site/app where you can add learned words and do exercises with ‘em. Glad to help, any doubts you can totally ask me! Greetings from Brazil! =D

[gregorvorbarra]

Advice from a professional tour guide on your public speaking woes: If you flub up a word, keep saying gibberish for a couple seconds, laugh sheepishly, and say something like "Sorry, my brain got ahead of me." People will generally laugh, but they'll be following your lead. If it keeps happening, eventually just say something like "Apparently I can't talk right today. Thanks for bearing with me." Usually this helps get the audience 100% on your side (and when it doesn't you can mentally...

I hope you don't mind if I answer this publicly, but this is helpful, thank you!

I have a hard time speaking in English in general (I fucking hate English, if anyone tells u it's an easy language, fucking stab them, and tell them alba says hi), but it's a lot worse speaking in front of a lot of people, even if I'm not even up at the front of the classroom. (I was just sitting at my table today.) but yeah, thank you, I'll keep this in mind <3