#language guru

[languageguru-blog]

Here's another update. Meant to upload this yesterday, but didn't have time.

[languageguru-blog]

Update

So, I wanted to give a few updates about what is to come: Weekly Vlog: In the future, starting next week, I will be doing a weekly vlog about things I'm working on the site and plans for it in the future as well as possibly current events, etc.

New Domain Name: For those of you looking to navigate to the site, you can now do so through www.languageguru.net instead of typing in languageguru.tumblr.com (though you can still do so if you like). This is not the domain tied to my tumblr account as I am having issues with that. It is a domain which is being forwarded to the tumblr url.

New Videos: I will continue to do videos with language lessons and more, but I want them to be better than what they have been. I want them to be of better quality and easier to see when concerning things that I am writing. So, I am creating a new series called "Learn with Me" which will follow a character as he learns new languages and about cultures, history, etc. Don't expect anything fancy. I am not an animator..I am doing this in PowerPoint (so you know it's going to be interesting).

More Content: As you may have noticed from yesterday, I have started posting a bit more. I will keep this going with not only more original content but links to articles and other fun language stuff around the web. This year, I will be studying Latin, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and French, so I am hoping to put up lessons concerning these languages soon too. Keep in mind that I will be actively learning Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and French. I am in no way an expert and I shall make that clear. The only ones I am somewhat to very knowledgeable in are Latin and Arabic.

Opportunities Page: One thing in my vision for this site is to catalog a list of opportunities for language learning and jobs from all around the world. I really want you to help me with this as I am only one person and I cannot read every language in the world (or have the time to look through all these things). It will be categorized by region of the world. Please send me links to things like scholarships, jobs, and other opportunities you find. I am looking to make the page live by the end of the month, though, obviously I will keep updating it as time continues as well as giving updates on the blog/vlog.

Shoutout #2: A couple of months ago, I made a post about some blogs I found interesting on tumblr. Unfortunately I did not have the time to tend to it while  I was in Morocco; however, I will be doing that again this month and continuing in the future as I said before. Look for it by the end of this week.

Make sure to send me comments and suggestions. Share this. I want as much feedback as possible. What do you want to see in the future? What do you like right now? What are you excited about? I know I'm excited for what's coming.

[languageguru-blog]

I have updated the page on why you should learn other languages. You should check it out. Click the link to read the full essay.

Summary:

Everybody is saying that you should learn another language, but why? What's the point? The reason is because it is very useful.Learning languages is beneficial both professionally and personally. On the one hand, learning a foreign language can help you advance your career and make you available for new opportunities both abroad and at home in your work. It can help you earn more money. Because so many people are learning foreign languages, it puts you at a disadvantage not to pick up at least one.

On the other hand, learning another language offers personal benefits such as increased cognitive/creative ability, cultural awareness, traveling, and mastery of your own language. Heck, you can use your language as a party trick. People will think it's sexy and cool. People who learn foreign languages tend to do better academically, have better memory, and learn faster on average. In addition to this, learning a language gives you freedom to travel to other places and really understand other cultures. While you may be able to "survive" another country without learning the language, you should also understand that the touristy areas that speak much English aren't the truest reflections of the culture/country. In fact, more than 80% of the world doesn't speak it. Learning another language gives you the freedom to really see the world for what it is (rather than the "dolled up" version) and gives you insight into the perspectives of other peoples and their culture. What it boils down to is that learning another language opens up many opportunities for you to explore. You may even end up discovering something about yourself and the way you think.

[languageguru-blog]

I'm Back!

Hey guys! Just letting you know that my schedule doesnt suck anymore, so I’ll REALLY be uploading regularly again. Around this time of year, the professors just start throwing assignments at your face, so I’ve been dealing with the stress of that (‘cause that really hurts!). I had my last final yesterday, so I’m ultra-happy about that. I’m incredibly exhausted from the constant tests, projects, papers, homework, and other fun stuff from these past four weeks. On the upside, my Classics professors are AWESOME and brought baklava an pizza (two different instances) for us students to eat during the finals.

So, after face-planting into my bed and doing a night of hardcore passing out, I am rejuvenated (somewhat, I guess). Look forward to the rest of the Arabic Alphabet videos, WDWGFL, and more! Now I just have to search for an apartment, start research on my 50 page honors thesis, and brush up on my Arabic before I head to Morocco in about two weeks. Summer! amirite?

[languageguru-blog]

Word: فون/فنون

Transliteration: fuun/funuun

English Transl: Art

Related: Essential Arabic Vocabulary: School

[languageguru-blog]

Word: امتحان/امتحانات 

Transliteration: imtiHaan/imtiHaanaat

English Transl: Test

Related: Essential Arabic Vocabulary: School

[languageguru-blog]

About Language Guru

Language Guru is a site for those who are interested in languages and anything that relates to this topic. Whether you're a language novice, bilingual, or a polyglot, Language Guru hopes to be a useful resource for furthering your knowledge as well as a community for those who love to learn and share their knowledge. Even if you know one language, there's something you can contribute. Everyone's perspective is unique and I hope that followers contribute their knowledge about any cultures, languages, and other cool tidbits.

Goals of Language Guru:

Share my love of language with like-minded individuals.

Be a helpful resource to those looking to learn languages.

Share interesting things about languages and the people who speak them as well as make connections between various languages and cultures.

Create a community of individuals who want to share their knowledge and culture with others who are interested in learning more about the world around them.

About Me: My name is Ralston and I am currently a student at Emory University. I have always been interested in learning about different languages and cultures. When I was young, I dabbled in learning Spanish, French, and Japanese and managed to pick up a few phrases and grammar here or there, but I didn't get serious about learning languages until High School. There, I started learning Latin from an amazing teacher who changed my life in more ways than one.  In 6 years have passed since then and I have grown to love Latin immensely. I now consider myself fairly advanced in Latin, but not yet an expert. 3 years ago, I decided to pick up Arabic because, honestly, I thought the script was pretty. I am now pursuing fluency in the language.  I took a year off of study for both of these languages, so 5 and 2 years of study respectively. The common denominator is that I typically don't learn languages for practical reasons. I learn languages because I am just utterly interested in the subject and anything that may have to do with it. I find it interesting how language ties into the culture of the people who speak it and how it feels to speak a different language fluently. You end up discovering new aspects of yourself.  I also like traveling. One of my goals in life is to set foot on every continent and, hopefully, visit every major area in the world. I hope to learn many many languages in the future and about the various cultures of the world.  

Contact: [email protected]

[languageguru-blog]

Update: You can now leave comments!

I added Disqus to the blog, so if you go on the actual site (not on your dashboard tumblr-folk) and click on a post that you are on the actual page of the post itself, you will see space where you can comment on and discuss the things I post and share your knowledge (please do!). It also allows you to easily share the post/blog on Facebook and twitter as well. A plus for me, I can now comment/reply back to your answers to my questions as well!