#studying language

[inthewaytoamultilinguallife]

My learning method? Umh, can it be doing shit above my level and then just muddling through?

[polemicandcontent]

10 unusual language learning tips !

i see a lot of the same (sometimes unhelpful) tips being thrown around, so here’s my two cents:

1. write shopping lists/to do lists in your target language - often you don’t learn this vocab but it’s conversational & v useful! also writing yourself notes (lil pep talks on the bathroom mirror, for example) can work.

2. buy a small whiteboard and practice verb conjugation (esp. romantic languages) or script writing 

3. talk to pets in target language if possible!

4. look for quotes in your target language - often the turns of phrase are  more colloquial, and is a good opportunity to see how things are translated from your native language 

5. find a fairly easy news headline (in target lang) and try to re-write it w/ vocab you already have. you’ll quickly find gaps - this is a good thing! (if you’re feeling extra spicy, try writing a small subheading or description about the article).

6. create an imaginary friend who you speak with on the shower, or on the train, doing the laundry etc. talk w/ them in your target lang (in your head, obvs) about your day, future plans, etc etc.

~for more advanced learners~

7. when you’re more advanced, and have some grasp of past/future tenses, buy a children’s/tween’s/YA book that you’ve already read. highlight and annotate the shit out of it. you’ll know the general gist already, which makes context clues easier to find.

8. change wikipedia settings into target language - same goes for any social media site. this can be a mega challenge, but is so good for vocab, plus you’re more likely to remember the info since you worked so hard for it.

9. write a review for a book/film/record/whatever you’ve most recently consumed. maybe start a diary of them, or just have an ongoing word doc.

10. find a bilingual edition of poetry/literature if possible. you might find you can spot translation differences, but you’re sure to find some new vocab.

[mysmall-studies]

Day 9 in quarantine

Still not a polyglot

[studythenight-away]

12.24.2019 | 100 Days of Productivity: Day 13/100

Studied tons of Korean today! I can't seem to get the lighting correct for these photos so these turned out darker than I wanted to BUT super proud of all the words I learned. Finally moving on to the adjective section of my vocab book so maybe I can actually start describing things now!

[sunflowersdorm]

colors in portuguese ☆

black - preto

white - branco

blue - azul

red - vermelho

yellow - amarelo

green - verde

brown - marrom

ivory - marfim

silver - prata

golden - dourado

purple - roxo

lilac - lilás

orange - laranja

navy blue - azul marinho

pea green - verde claro

gray - cinza

pink - rosa

bronze - bronze

In almost all of these colors, we use “claro” when it is in a lighter shade and “escuro” when it is in a darker shade, such as: azul - blue / azul claro - light blue or vermelho escuro - crimson. We also use “azul escuro” in azul marinho - navy blue. Only a few colors have a different name from their basic shade, like roxo e lilás / purple and lilac. 

These are the colors we use the most in Portuguese. If you are going to buy inks in a special shop, you’ll definitely find more variations of these names. 

x

[fregolicotard]

13.02.2020

Guys, I’ve finally done it! I started learning Polish again! This time I am taking private classes, instead of going to the university and it’s so much better. I’ve been wanting to start on Polish again for such a long time. 

I can speak pretty well already, make myself understood, effectively communicate and read basic texts like news articles, or someone’s rant on social media. However, Polish is extremely freaking hard with many nuances and complex grammar. I can’t speak the way I would like to and I’m starting to worry that I am re-defining my identity. If you consider language as an expression of your thoughts and this expression as a statement for your identity, then language defines not only how other people perceive you but also how you perceive yourself. And here is where I am starting to have troubles. 

Despite reading books in Romanian, I am no longer part of the Romanian academic context and I feel like my versed language skills are fading away. Even in basic conversation, I surprise myself forgetting a simple word and not being able to remember it in any of the languages I know.

Secondly, I am not practising my English on a studious level. I am speaking in English with my husband and my clients and most of the media I consume is in English, however, this also feels a bit like a closed bubble, where mistakes are easy to slip through and remain unnoticed for a long time until they form a new habit of language.

So all in all, I am really feeling like my language skills are fading away and from Irina who writes complex philosophical essays, I’m turning into Irina who knows disco polo lyrics, uses double past tense in English, has trouble writing a simple email in Romanian and can’t remember the word “pâlnie” if her life was on the line.

I feel that bringing my Polish to the “using the right endings for a change” level, then my identity will start to slowly revert back. Or at least my self-perception will shift, which might be all that matters. :) 

#44of366

[peach-talks]

my room is just so cute with morning light 🌻