6 Ways to have fun learning Albanian
For the arrival of Group 18 in Albania (Mire se vini Grupi 18!!), the LCC worked to collect suggestions for ways to have fun learning Albanian. Here they are below:
Alayna and Erich: Tongue twisters!! They test your pronunciation and are devilishly difficult. Kupa me kapak, kupa pa kapak. Shaboni shkoi ne Shkoder, shiti Shamine shume shtrenjt, shtatmije e shtateqinde e shtatedhjete e shtate.
Jackie: Miming! If you’re communicating and don’t know a word, miming can be a fun way to try and get your point across and learn a new word.
Jon B: When I take a bus/furgon trip, I sometimes play a little game. I try to translate everything I see - on street signs, buildings, ads, etc. I write down the words that I don't know in a journal and translate them later. It's fun to see if I can get through a trip, knowing all the Shqip/Albanian I see along the way.
Mary: Make a fool of yourself! I make a fool of myself all the time, mixing up words and then laughing at myself with Albanians. It’s a great way to create bonds and when you learn the correct word or phrase, it’s much harder to forget it.
Mark: I like playing games, whether sidewalk games with kids or chess or old men or Murlan with anybody, any age. You quickly have to learn the vocabulary to keep up, especially with kids.
Miranda: Writing poems! It stretches your vocab, even if you’re just doing a little haiku, and there’s a beautiful finished product when you’re done.
Use one or use all, these are tried and true ways of learning some valuable words while also having fun.