More Russian coming in 2011

I wrote a few posts about the Russian language this year, some of which were somewhat popular, but it seemed that most of my readers were either people interested in Italian, or people interested in language-learning in a broad sense. Thus, I didn't make Russian much of a focus in my writing this year.

However, I have always been very enthusiastic about the Russian language, and I have no doubt conveyed a lot of that enthusiasm in various ways, both through what I write here, and with the things... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Best of 2010

The end of the year is always a big time for me. With my birthday on December 15th, Christmas on the 25th, and New Year's Eve on the 31st, there's already a lot going on. And this year is even worse because I'm also moving this week, so there are a lot of logistic to work out, utilities to have transferred, and furniture to be moved.

Needless to say, finding time to write high quality material isn't easy. And with the time I do find, I prefer to spend it finishing up the Italian e-book (which... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

What I've learned in one year

Looking back on this year, I've learned quite a lot. And that's the point of this project, after all, isn't it? Setting out to learn a new language fluently in one year may not make me the most aggressive language learner, or the biggest, coolest polyglot on the block, but it is quite clearly a commitment to learn a lot in one year.

Since this is a language blog, I'll start by talking about language. Certainly, it can be said that I learned Italian. I learned to understand Italian, to speak... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Be more confident

Have you ever had a conversation like this?A: Oh let me tell about this really funny thing that happened yesterday! I was in a store... in a... um, hardware? Can I say that?
B: Yes.
A: Yes, hardware store. I was in a "hardware store", and I saw this kid and he was... um... he had those.... (long pause) rolling shoes? That's not right. What are those things called? .
B: Roller skates? Roller blades? Heeley's?
A: Oh okay. Roller skates. Roooolllllllllller skaaaaaates. That's a funny word. What... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Introducing the Yearlyglot mailing list

My year of Italian is drawing to a close, and the end of this project is also the beginning of the a new adventure. But don't write the obituary For Italian just yet. Even as I'm starting to think about starting over next year with a new language, there's still more to come from Italian.

I've already mentioned my work on an e-book, in which I will share many more details about how I've learned to speak fluent Italian in just one year without traveling to Italy and without spending my time studying.... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian and Spanish compared

When I began my year of learning Italian, I was already a speaker of Spanish. And as both Spanish and Italian are descended from Vulgar Latin, they have a lot in common.

At times, having familiarity with Spanish was somewhat of an advantage, and at other times, it's actually a disadvantage. But a lot of the time, it's just a fact, neither a help nor a hindrance.

Similarities
There are many ways in which Spanish and Italian are similar.

Both have a very similar Vulgar Latin grammar. Sentence... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Speaking Spanish in the southwestern U.S.

For the past ten days, I've been exploring the southwestern U.S., with visits to six more states to which I've never previously been. And as a language-lover, one thing has been clear right from the start: speaking Spanish has made this a much more pleasant experience for me.

In St. Louis, after I'd seen all the sights I wanted to see (and a few I didn't want to see!), I ended up at a coffee shop near the campus of the university, where I did some writing while waiting to meet up with one of... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

A few more Italian idioms

Today, we have a few more Italian colloquialisms, or idioms, or slang... or whatever you like to call them — I still don't know (or care) what the difference is.

These are fun little phrases because they don't mean what they say, and it's important to understand them correctly when you hear or see them used. Also, these are the kind of phrases that will give you trouble if you've been relying on Google Translate.

Stare alla larga da
One can easily imagine the word "distanza" implied... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian phrases that play tricks on my ears

Early on while I was learning Russian, I remember learning the phrase не курить ("nye koo-reeht") meant no smoking. There may be better ways of saying it, (before you rush to the bottom to tell me I'm an idiot, read this), but this one will always stick in my mind because the moment I heard it, I noticed that it sounded strikingly similar to Nicorette, the brand name of a nicotine chewing gum meant to help people quit smoking.

Più
Here in the US, and I assume it's probably true throughout... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Language is not a fact

I imagine that’s a confusing title. In fact, that was intentional. My goal was to catch a few of you assuming that the opposite of a fact is a fiction. Maybe it worked. Maybe you even got a little angry and thought, “good heavens, is Randy suggesting that language isn’t true?”

No. That’s not what I’m suggesting. In fact, if you were thinking that, you may have a misconception about what a fact is. According to my dictionary, the word fact means “a piece of information about... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

How to practice speaking on your own

This was originally a response to a question about how introverts can practice speaking a language. Not all language practice needs to happen in front of other people, if that makes you nervous.

I’m increasingly starting to see a relationship between active language skills and playing strategy board games (like Go or Chess).

When playing Go or Chess, knowing the basic rules is not enough to play well. While you can calculate out a couple of moves, no one ever gets good just by learning... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

4 reasons you're still not fluent

I get a lot of comments, emails, tweets, and other communications related to this blog, and perhaps the most common theme among all of them is this: "I've been studying for a long time but I'm still not fluent. What advice can you give?"

I give tons of advice every week that answers that question, in the form of the posts I'm writing here. No doubt that's why you've found me, and why you read this blog, and why you've asked me that question. So today, rather than telling you what you can do to... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

“They only say that in Rome” and other nonsense

The United States is a large country, and I've lived all over the US. I know how people talk in the northeast, and how they talk in the south. I can recognize a Carolinian accent and distinguish it from a Tennesseean accent, and I can hear a single word in your speech that tells me you're from Ohio, or an expression that tells me you're from the Dakotas.

But I can also be wrong about all of that.

I have family members who have never lived outside of Chicago, but who speak as if they were from... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Making sense of Italian slang

After learning basic, grammatically correct Italian, it's important to also learn some slang. Most languages have a ton of slang, and Italian is no exception. Today I'll just discuss a few fun little Italian slang words.

magnia
If you see it written, in context, this one's not too hard to figure out. The n and g are reversed. But it's not just a typo, they really say "man-ya" in their slang, and it sounds different enough from "man-ja" that it won't be obvious if you hear it.

Si magna = I'm... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Travel announcements for December

Today I have a few short announcements about upcoming travel. As many of you already know, I'm on a mission to see all 50 states of the US. (If you don't already know, you can look at my bucket list and see what I'm up to.)

My original intention was to complete them all by the end of next year, but as a result of some unexpected events (mostly good), it looks like I'm going to succeed in having visited all of the 48 continental states by the end of next month, leaving me only Hawaii and Alaska... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

What happened to LivaMocha?

I haven't visited LiveMocha since probably last March, when it's usefulness faded behind my growing Italian vocabulary. But last week I went and played with it and found that it's completely different... and not in a good way.

I don't believe that any program, system, web site, book, CD, or software can ever be perfect, because language is used in real life, where the topics and the inputs are unpredictable and always changing. However, I have always found LiveMocha to be an excellent free tool,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Walk to the edge, and then step over

This is a post about going too far. It's about stepping over the line. It's about pushing your boundaries. This is a post about stepping beyond what you know. It's about crossing past your comfort zone. And most of all, it's about choosing to do that willingly.

I just had lunch with a friend, and we talked about a lot of interesting things — traveling to new places without a plan, starting conversations about crazy things with complete strangers, working on new and exciting projects that... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

I'm an asshole, and 9 more reasons to unsubscribe

Maybe you've just started reading this blog recently — maybe even after you followed a link from your friend yesterday to a crazy post telling you to give up your flashcards! Or, maybe you've been reading for a while, or even since the very first post.

But unless you're one of the fifty (I'm guessing) readers here who actually know me in real life, there is probably a lot about me you don't know. (In fact, even if you do know me, there may be a lot you don't know!)

First, you should... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Enough is enough

For the past week, this blog has been a hot-spot of high-tension, strong words, and angry argument... and I am no less guilty than the others who participated. I shared a very controversial idea — one that I knew would be controversial, but in which I strongly believe — and as any rational person would expect, much argument ensued.

A small, but very loud, group of people conducted a war of attrition, trying to silence my opinion by surrounding it with a cacophony of theirs, and in... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Mea Culpa – flashcards aren’t so bad after all

After my posts about flashcards, a small, but extremely vociferous minority of people have decided to carry on a raging holy war in the comments section of my blog. These few people seemingly never sleep, commenting at all hours of the day, keeping the war alive and reminding me, through sheer persistence and strength of will, that they're right and I'm wrong.

So I give in. I admit that I was completely wrong about flashcards. Apparently, they're really awesome, and I just needed to be more... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The flashcard holy war rages on!

As the flashcards holy war rages on, I continue to be amazed at how far people will go to defend a bad idea — even after admitting that it's bad.

One commenter said:Ok, yes I agree flashcards are boring. I've tried using flashcards, but I just couldn't sit through it (Anki software). It is just rote repetition. There is much researched to be done to improve SRS. However, I have to disagree on some points. You refer to the translation step as bad thing. The translation step is vital part... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

8 ways to learn a language without using flashcards

My last post turned out to be every bit as controversial as I thought it would. I expected that, because whether right or wrong, people react passionately and defensively any time their beliefs are challenged. (If you want to test that theory, just put a muslim, a christian, and an atheist into a room together!)

I received many comments of agreement, and I also received many comments if almost violent disagreement, but the one thing I was most shocked to see was a comment accusing me of bashing... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Why I don’t use flashcards (and you shouldn’t either)

I know that this post is going to upset a lot of people, but if you believe in something strongly, you can't worry about what other people think. So in spite of the fact that SRS is the hottest thing in language learning right now, I'm going tell everyone to stop using it.

Stop using flashcards. Stop using SRS. Stop learning vocabulary from lists, or decks, or programs. Stop. It doesn't work, it's a waste of time, and it's creating bad patterns in your brain.

When I started this blog, one... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Mandarin, and a review of the Pimsleur Method

Eleven days ago, I decided to take a short break from Italian and learn a little Mandarin from the sample lessons sent to me by a representative at The Pimsleur Method. Yesterday, I completed those lessons and today I will share my thoughts.

Mandarin
First, I think it's important to cover some basic information about Mandarin, because I think it's important to understand how the subject relates to the methods used to teach it. So here are some details about Mandarin. Some of you may already... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Learning as a lifestyle

Usually, when people want to learn a new language but never do it, it's because they don't think they have the time for studying. They think they have to make time to study, to go to classes, to listen to CDs, to use software, to do flashcards and exercises... Eventually the thought of all that work becomes overwhelming and they give up before they ever get started.

Ironically, I believe it's the people who don't make time for learning a language who end up learning it the best. When you "make... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Sipping from the language hose

I recently discussed learning as a lifestyle, and said that I learn by using the language, not by studying it. I've pointed out that I don't do lessons, I don't use flashcards, I don't take classes, and I don't think you should either.

I claim that I learn from reading, listening to music, watching movies, chatting, talking, writing, etc. But you might be wondering how a person can learn from doing that. In fact, I was recently asked by one of my readers to explain how I learn new words without... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

I'm starting an anti-productivity movement

Lately, everywhere you look, you're surrounded by productivity "gurus" telling you how you can "do more", "fit more on your plate", and "get more done."

Everyone promises to make you more productive, whatever that means. They claim you'll be better at work, and better at home, and better at life, and blah blah blah, and then before you know it, you're scheduling your whole life into a calendar, and living on a strict schedule, fitting everything and everyone into cold, impersonal slots of time,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Learn the words you use

So often, people rigidly follow lesson plans, or course books, or flashcard decks expecting those things to lead them to fluency, only to find themselves unable to say what they really want to say because they haven't learned the words they use most!

Following programs or courses as they are laid out is a good way to increase your vocabulary, especially in the beginning when you know very little, or nothing at all. But as your skill grows and your ability to communicate begins to take shape,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Taking breaks, and the 10-day Mandarin challenge

There's something nice about taking time away from the task at hand which helps us to get refocused on it once that break is over. Every time I put something out of mind for a short period of time, I find that my effectiveness is improved once I return to it.

I believe that taking those breaks gives you a chance to convert what you've learned from short-term memory to long-term memory. And this is why I have welcomed what seem to be "distractions", such as my week of Esperanto.

I have found,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Getting the most out of Lang-8

One of the most helpful tools I use for language learning is the free, social web site Lang-8. There, you write freely in your target language, as you might in a blog, and then your text is made available sentence by sentence for correction from native speakers.

Getting correction from a native speaker is invaluable, and getting several corrections you can choose from is even better. Yet in spite of the fact that it's so useful, and free of charge, it seems that a lot of people are still not... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Me, Neighborly?

Am I a good neighbor? Yes, I think so.



I say hi to people from the building when I see them. I make sure their package deliveries are inside, where they won't be stolen. I do what I can.



I also believe it is important to take care of your surroundings and take pride in the place you live. In the winter, I'm the only person in my building who clears snow from the walk and the front steps. But I don't mind. It's not that hard. And in the summer, I sweep the steps, or vaccuum the front landing. I sweep the back walkway and pick up the trash. It's not a big deal, it only takes a few minutes to do it.



I'm a little disappointed that no one else takes any pride in where they live, and I'm disheartened that if I were to stop, no one else would do it. When I'm out of town for a week or two, I come back to find the building looking a mess. And one day, I'll move and it will stay a mess.

You are what you do

This post isn't just about language learning, but it applies to language learning. The is really a post about everything you do in your life. This is a post about what you are, and what you want to be. It's about why you're not there yet, and how you can get there.


Your body is what you do to it
Several years ago, I took an interest in weight training. I was skinny and I wanted to gain weight, but not by getting fat. I started lifting weights a few days per week, running every day, changing... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Il condizionale – Italian’s peculiar conditional tense

There is still one verb tense which needs to be understood, but which I have not yet discussed here. And the reason I haven't discussed it yet was because it's use was still somewhat unclear to me.

In fact, the most common explanation I've found online for the conditional tense in Italian was simply: "don't use it, because you're sure to get it wrong." I can't believe that passes for an explanation, but it does!

Well, just as with everything else in language learning, it turns out that using... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Travel hacking

This week I flew to Salt Lake City and rented a car, and then took a 2,000 mile tour through some of the most beautiful land that America has to offer. Along the way, I also managed to come up with a few travel hacks that I want to share.

Flying
For starters, my entire flight was free, because I had earned enough awards points for a free flight, simply by sticking to the same airline every time I fly. This isn't necessarily ground-breaking advice, but the important thing to remember is that... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Do-it-yourself immersion

I'm traveling this week, visiting huge scenic landscapes and beautiful national parks in the big, wide-open western states. It's a lot of driving, a bit of hiking, and nights in hotel rooms, and I'm doing it all alone. But I'm not complaining about being alone. On the contrary, I like it, because it allows me an opportunity for do-it-yourself immersion.

When people talk about immersion in a language, they usually mean that you go to the country where the language is spoken, and live there for... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Don't study a foreign language!

I'll bet a few of you never expected to see that headline from me. But this isn't a joke post, and it's not reverse-psychology. I'm absolutely serious... if you're studying a foreign language, you need to stop.

Surely you must think I'm mad. A guy who says anyone can learn to speak a foreign language is telling people not to do it? Well... not exactly. I'm not telling you not to learn... I'm only telling you not to study.

Stop studying
People study to pass tests. Students study in order... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Progress report entering the last three months

I'm entering the final three months of my Italian year, so it's a good time for another update on my progress. Today, I'll talk about where I'm at, what I've been doing, and how I plan to finish up my year.

When I started my Italian project this year, I defined what it meant to be fluent, and I also laid out a number of goals regarding things I expect to be able to do once this year is over. Let’s see how things look en route to meeting those expectations.

My definition of fluency
First,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Comings and goings

Recently, I've been making a lot of exciting changes in my life. While none of them is directly related to learning a language, clearing out the stresses and distractions in your life is a great way to free up your time and your attention for the things that are important, such as working on your language skills.

Uncluttering
I've always had the belief that less is more, and that the things you own end up owning you. Well, after spending most of the last 10 years involved in photography, I've... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The book is dead, long live the book!

I've had my Kindle for a few weeks now, and I've used it in a lot of ways, both conventional and nonconventional, and I think I'm ready to report what I've learned and form some opinions about this device.

Let me begin by saying that modern society has invented endless methods of sharing information over the decades, all of them more efficient than books, but reading text on a screen is not fun. Furthermore, the Kindle isn't even the first e-book reader.

But it's clearly the first one to... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Is it important to speak correctly?

When you start learning a new language and reading all the motivation and instructional blogs, you find that there are a lot of strong opinions on whether or not it is important to speak correctly. Today, hopefully, I can help you cut through the dogma and the loud voices to figure out the answer for yourself.

Getting started
In the early stages of learning a language, the most important activity is speaking: forcing recall from your brain, forming sounds and accents, creating thoughts. The... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

When you want simple grammar, you want Tagalog

In spite of the fact that I'd had 2 years of Spanish classes, and in spite of the fact that I think Spanish is the best first choice for a second language. In spite of the fact that I was enrolled in German classes at the time, the first foreign language I actually ever used was Tagalog.

Sure, I eventually went on to use Spanish — a lot! — as there are plenty of opportunities for it here in the US. But in my first year of high school, on my first day, in my first class, I gave some... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The worst language I’ve ever seen

I've complained about some other languages, and I've had a lot to say about one in particular, but there is one language I know of which is, in my opinion, worse than all others. When I think of all the ways to make a language difficult, this one has most of them, along with a few frustrating details that I would have never thought were possible if I hadn't seen it for myself.

Mabye you've already guessed that the language I'm talking about is English.
“If the English language made any sense,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Germanic languages – you might be surprised!

Learning a new language within the same language branch as another language you already know is much easier than learning something within a completely different branch or family. And knowing a central language in a language branch also makes it easier to understand things you see and hear in another language from that language branch, even if you don't know that language at all.

Germanic languages
The Germanic language branch of the Indo-European language tree has roots older than the Roman... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Мои пальчики писали, мои пальчики устали!

Each language feels different when it hits your ear, and feels strange as it exits your mouth — often leaving your tongue twisted into a new, uncomfortable shape! But one other difference that might not be so obvious is the way it "feels" to type in that language.

I'm a touch-typist. I've grown up with computers. I had typing class in first grade. I type fast and I don't look. And I expect that a lot of people in my generation or younger fit that description.

Interestingly, it seems... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

A fun way to strengthen your Italian speaking skills no matter where you are

One of my philosophies in life is the idea that doing things which are difficult makes it easier to do things that aren't. And naturally this can be applied to tasks like learning a foreign language!

Among the hardest things to do in any language we find one of the most fun: saying tongue-twisters. It's something you can do anywhere you go, and it will help you to get past those mouth-bending sounds.

Not only do tongue-twisters help you to practice and strengthen your speaking skills, but... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The next evolution of communication

Technology continues to reshape the way we communicate, and recently that has gotten me thinking about what that might mean for me. What's coming? What's already here? What else is on its way? The last month has seen big news from several different directions, all of which seem (at least to me) to be related. And very exciting...

Tech news
First, Amazon released their new Kindle. It's smaller, faster, better, and significantly less expensive, but what I find most interesting is that it now... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Learning how to say thanks

One of the simplest things I do in foreign languages also happens to be the one that people seem to find most impressive: simply saying "thanks". The trick is, doing it in their language.

I recently went to lunch with several coworkers, and I recognized the waitress's accent as Romanian, so when she brought out our food, I told her mulţumesc — Romanian for "thank you".

It's just one word, and I really don't know much more than that in Romanian. But that one word is priceless, because... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Ci, Vi, and Ne

We've learned about the reflexive pronouns ci and vi, and the partitive pronoun ne, but the Italian pronouns ci, vi, and ne all have secret powers that other pronouns don't have. Can you guess what it is?

The secret is, they all have the ability to double as adverbs!

More shortcuts
In much the same way that ne works to back-reference things in its role as a partitive pronoun, ci, vi, and ne can be used as adverbs to back-reference a preposition.

In this usage, the words ci, vi, and... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Do fun things while you learn

One of the best ways to kill progress in a language is, of course, to make it boring. And likewise, one of the best ways to keep your interest in a language is to do things with it that are fun and/or interesting. Here are a few fun things I do in Italian.
Social networking
I've already talked about one social network, Badoo, which I find to be a good, general-purpose place to practice your target language. There is, unfortunately, a stigma attached to using that site, since most people seem... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Beginner’s guide to Russian nonsense

Into every conversation, a little nonsense must fall. And it should come as no surprise that a rich language like Russian is rich with nonsense!

Sometimes there's just not a word to express what you want to say. Other times words are too long. And besides, when one little grunt can get your message across, why use anything more?

And so it is that one often finds himself (or herself) in a conversation consisting more of little nonsense words than actual vocabulary!

ой
We'll start with... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Do you want to learn to swear in a foreign language?

Okay, we all know those cretins who seem to know the swear words in every language, but don't know how to say hello, please, or thank you in even one foreign langauge. And we probably also know those judgmental prudes who refuse to ever learn any swear words because they don't want to seem untame, uncultured, unintelligent in their foreign language. I'm neither. But I do have an opinion...

Uncultured? Unintelligent?
I understand the "uncultured" argument. Without a doubt, there are endless... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Why you need to stop whining about grammar

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about grammar which stirred a lot of reactions from people, accusing me of everything from being misleading to using scare tactics! And of course, since I'm making millions of dollars from people being afraid of grammar, I can totally see where they got that idea from. (Irony, anyone?) But the thing is, it's not scare tactics, because I don't have to scare you. You're already scared.

Here's the problem. The age old grammar debate is fundamentally nothing... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Am I spiritual or religious?

In spite of being raised in a Christian family, I am a firm atheist.



I have, at several times in my life, tried to believe in a god, or a supernatural power, or a spirituality, but any time I did, it always felt instinctively dishonest. And not matter how hard I wanted to believe, I have never witnessed anything in my life which could not be explained my a basic understanding of science.



I do miss church, though. Don't get me wrong, I'll never go back to another church, because I believe that what happens there is abusive and dishonest. I see it as a form of government-sanctioned brainwashing. But, I do miss it. Churches are communities, where many friendships can be born. And there's something nice about seeing people dressed nicely -- these days, everyone (even well-to-do people) seems to make an art form of looking like a slob who just rolled out of bed.

Language profile: Toki Pona

It's been a while since I've done a language profile, so today I've chosen a particularly interesting language to profile. It's a constructed language called Toki Pona.

Linguistic minimalism
Probably the most interesting detail about Toki Pona is its minimalism. The language is built on an amazingly scant 125 root words, formed using a mere 14 phonemes: p, t, k, s, m, n, l, j, w, a, e, i, o, and u.

That's it! Nine consonants. Five vowels. All of them part of the standard Latin character... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Vital information, in Lithuanian

As I'm learning about my Lithuanian heritage, I am also learning about the language. So far I have looked at Lithuanian greetings, some common courtesies, how to ask questions, numbers, directions, basic verbs, descriptive words, and parts of the body.

An upcoming trip to Lithuania was going to provide a really good opportunity to test out these 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language for myself and see how good my advice is! Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen medical issues... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

What is a partitive? The Italian word "ne".

While the partitive exists in English, it goes mostly unused. Like so many other things in English, we understand it by implication. But as with so many other languages, implication alone isn't good enough for Italian grammar.

What is a partitive?
The partitive is a special kind of pronoun which functions as a back-reference. It refers back to a direct object specified in a previous sentence - or possibly later in the current sentence.

Observe the following examples:-Do you want some coffee?
-No,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

What I would say to my 16-year-old self

If I could travel back in time and give advice to myself when I was 16 years old, my advice would be to get a passport, save some money, and leave the country after high school.



I was 34 years old when I finally travelled to another country for the first time. That's more that 16 years ago! I should have done it much sooner.



I always wanted to travel the world, but I allowed myself to spend too much time believing it wasn't an option for me, having grown up poor. The only person in my family who ever traveled to another country did it via military service... until I finally started my adventures.



Now, I can look back at the past 16 years (since the end of high school) and imagine how much of the world I might have already seen if I hadn't waited so long.



Oh well. There's no sense regretting the past. What's done is done, and I'm traveling now. A lot! I've done more in this year than the average person would do in a decade. And I'm still just getting started. The future is ahead of me.

Che cosa dicono gli animali? Animal noises in Italian!

Did you know that humans aren't the only creatures with different languages? One of the more enjoyable details about learning a new language is learning how animals talk.

Pigs, for instance, say "oink oink" in English, but they say "groin groin" in French and "хрю хрю" (khryu khryu) in Russian. Dogs say "vau-vau" in Hungarian, "guk guk" in Indonesian, and "ham ham" in Romanian!

Today, we're going to learn how animals speak in Italian.

Bees
Le api ronzano. Fanno il suono "zzzzz."

Birds
Gli... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Colloquial Lithuanian

... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Don't think grammar is important? Think again!

I'm noticing a troubling theme in the language-learning and language-blogging community: people who are looked to as subject matter experts, time and time again, encouraging their readers and followers to forego grammar.

I'm deeply troubled by this.

A common piece of advice I see from many sources is, "Don't waste your time on all that frustrating grammar, just learn the words and the grammar will work itself out. Besides, you don't have to speak perfectly... people will understand you."

I'll... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Moving abroad: the small print

Moving abroad can be some tricky business; once you've decided whether you want to work, study or volunteer, you need to tackle the biggest task of them all: the red tape.

First and foremost, you'll need to check out whether you need a visa. A good place to start is here, though it's always highly recommend to check with your chosen country's embassy, too. If you're stopping over in certain countries, make sure you know the score about visa waivers etc.  Speaking from experience, I can tell... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Lithuanian body parts

As I'm learning about my Lithuanian heritage, I am also learning about the language. So far I have looked at Lithuanian greetings, some common courtesies, how to ask questions, numbers, directions, basic verbs, and descriptive words. This week, I'll talk about parts of the body.

An upcoming trip to Lithuania will provide a really good opportunity to test out these 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language for myself and see how good my advice is! This week I'm on the ninth item... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Everyone should stand for something!

When I look back at all the people in life who have inspired me, or who still do inspire me, there is one thing that's true about all of them: they all stand for something. Interestingly, this can be a great language learning tool.

Those people who are most meaningful and inspirational are that way because we associate an idea with their identitity. And its always their idea. They've given us this message through their actions, their attitude, and their words. It's the identity that they have... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

What is my stance on "swear" words?

Studed Silence

No person, act, or word has the power to offend. The only power anyone has over you is the power that you give them.



When people are offended by swearing, they are really only offended by their own lack of control over what you say. They have an idea of how they think you should talk, and they are offended by your refusal to follow their plan.



But who are you to tell me what I'm allowed to say?



A word is only considered a "swear" word when a significant enough number of people agree that they do not want to hear it. But each group of people is subjective. In different company, that word holds absolutely no power to offend.



In fact, often, in the right company, a "swear" word has the power to amuse, to entertain, occasionally even to enlighten.



I believe that the best option is to choose the words that best reach the audience with whom you want to communicate. If you are talking to people who don't like "swear" words, your message will be better heard if you avoid suchs words. Once someone is offended, they stop listening to anything else you're saying.



But if your audience does not respond negatively -- or indeed, responds favorably to such language -- by all means, I'm in favor of their use. Effective communication means choosing the best word for the situation. And yes, sometimes, that's a "swear" word.

More Italian patterns

Staying on a recent theme, I intend to continue focusing on useful word patterns in Italian. While one should never stop learning vocabulary, my attention during the second half of my year of Italian will be focused more on learning words as part of common phrases, rather than simply as vocabulary words without any context.

Today, we'll look at a few more Italian word patterns I've found.

andare in giro — go around
Example:
Non si può andare in giro senza vestiti.
You can't go gallivanting... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Impressions of Catalan

A few weeks ago, I wrote a basic introduction to Catalan, having never heard it spoken before. Now, after spending a week immersed in it, I have a few new impressions.

As I mentioned before, it's common to think of Catalan as a dialect of Spanish. In fact, I've though that myself. But I can say confidently that anyone who thinks that has never actually heard it spoken. It's definitely not Spanish.

If you made a triangle between Rome, Paris, and Madrid, Catalonia would be close to the center,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Why I don't pinch my travel pennies

I just returned from my week in Barcelona, and the trip was quite enjoyable. However it was also a very interesting lesson in contrasts. Different carriers provide a very different experience.

Before I continue, let me be clear: I don't like to waste money, or throw it around frivolously. But I hold value as much more imporant than economy in my travel decisions — especially with regard to carriers.

Eyjafjallajokull
During the volcano debacle this summer, I remember thinking to myself... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Learning a new language is like learning to walk again

When you're learning a new language, it can be very frustrating. In the beginning, the first thing you become aware of isn't how fun it is, or how much potential there is... The first thing you become aware of when learning a new language is exactly how much you can not do.

Sure, you know how to say "hello", or ask someone their name, but when you want to share an opinion, or ask an important question, your mind goes over every bit of vocabulary you know, looking for a way to express the though,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Descriptive words in Lithuanian

As I learning about my Lithuanian heritage, I am also learning about the language. So far I have looked at Lithuanian greetings, some common courtesies, how to ask questions, numbers, directions, and basic verbs. This week, let's learn some descriptive words.

An upcoming trip to Lithuania will provide a really good opportunity to test out these 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language for myself and see how good my advice is! So this week I'm on the eight item — descriptive... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Travel light - pack for a week with only a backpack!

Today I'm leaving for a fabulous week in Barcelona, and as usual, I'm traveling light. I'll have everything I need in a single backpack. When you travel, less is more. By that, I mean that having to carry less offers me the freedom to do more. While everyone else is standing around a luggage carousel, my vacation is already started.

Sure, I'm not the first person to figure this out. But it's still amazing to me how much unneeded junk people bring with them, and the negative effect that has on... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

A few Italian word patterns

Since we're in the second half of the year, the focus is less about grammar and vocabulary, and more about building "muscle memory". It's still important to continue picking up new words, of course, but the focus should be on word patterns and common usage. The idea is to get away from translating in your head, to a point where words come out on their own, without thought.

The following are just a handful of word patterns I observed just today, while reading my Italian travel blogs. It didn't... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Five failures of Esperanto

Okay, I know I've said Esperanto is more religion than language, and I've complained about how few people there are with whom to use Esperanto. But today I'm going to put aside those biases and bring attention to a few specific details of Esperanto which give me an unfavorable opinion of it as a language.

First, let me be clear about my intent. This is not intended to be Esperanto-bashing. There is nothing to be gained from merely prejudiced attacks. Rather, this is a matter of paying attention... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Basic Lithuanian verbs

As I learning about my Lithuanian heritage, I am also learning about the language. So far I have looked at Lithuanian greetings, some common courtesies, how to ask questions, numbers, and directions. This week, let's learn some basic verbs!

An upcoming trip to Lithuania will provide a really good opportunity to test out these 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language for myself and see how good my advice is! So I won't be trying for fluency in a year with Lithuanian. Instead,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Amigo numero uno

Celle - My shadow on stilts!

My best friend is... ME! Me always accepts anything I do. Me is always supportive. No matter what crazy ideas I come up with, I can always count on Me to go along with it. I have been through a lot with Me. Wherever I go, Me is always there.



I never feel like I am being held back by Me. Some people get very negative about things I want to do, they even say it's impossible or that I can't do it, but they'll never convince Me.



Me is always happy to sit where I like to sit at the movie theater. Me never complains about the hotel I choose when I travel. When I drive, I never hear Me complain about how fast or slow I am going, or criticize when I miss a turn. Me likes all the same movies I do, listens to all the same music I do, and loves all the same foods.



Yeah, Me is definitely the best friend I could ever have.

Verb+preposition+infinitive patterns in Italian

In my last post, I talked about the importance of learning word patterns on your way to fluency. Today, I want to focus on some simple patterns: verb+preposition patterns.

A verb+preposition pattern is any phrasing where the object of the verb is joined to the verb using a preposition. In English, we're used to such examples as: "used to", "learning to", "finishing with", "thinking of", and so on.

These are short patterns, mostly just two or three words, but bigger patterns come from smaller... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

If I were guaranteed an honest response, what would I ask?

Area 51

Oh, that's a dangerous game!



I'm sure the author probably intended for people to succumb to their insecurities and ask someone for some sort of critique of their personality, or some physical trait. But I don't have those insecuritites.



In fact, I don't care much what people think of me, so I'd be tempted to ask people really embarrassing, personal questions about themselves.



Evil, I know. But it doesn't have to stop there! With a few minutes of thought, a person could get past such fun, but petty, manipulations and do something even more meaningful with a question that's guaranteed an honest answer...



For example, I could ask Colonel Sanders what his 11 secret herbs and spices are.



I could ask G. W. Bush why he allowed 9/11 to happen.



I could ask what is really hidden at Area 51, but I would have to ask the right person, since the only guarantee is an honest answer... not necessarily the truth.



If I knew who to ask, I could find out who killed Kennedy.



I could ask Dick Cheney how much he got from the devil when he sold his soul.



It might be fun to ask Rick Warren or James Dobson to answer if they honestly believe the things they teach, especially if I could ask them in front of all their TV viewers, but the answer wouldn't change anything.



It might also be fun to ask Rush Limbaugh or Glen Beck if they really believe any of the horse shit they say, but again, unfortunately, the answer would not change anything.



No... the unfortunate reality is that the truth doesn't change anything. Perception is everything. Belief is everything. Learning the truth is mostly pointless.



And so, I think if I had the power to ask one question and get an honest answer in return, I would gather up as many people as possible, turn my head to the sky, and ask "God... do you exist?"

Word pattern recognition

Have you ever thought about what's actually going on in your mind when you listen to someone talking? If so, you may have already noticed that your brain is guessing at the words to come next before you even hear them!

It works with reading too. If I write "six of one", I can guarantee that the majority of you are already thinking "half a dozen of the other." And if I write "when it rains" you're already thinking "it pours."

Patterns
This is pattern recognition, and it's a product of great... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Would I survive a month with no Internet?

Photograph of Women Working at a Bell System Telephone Switchboard

Could I live without the internet for a month? Yes. Absolutely. I lived without it for 25 years! What's one month?



But would I want to live without it for a month? No. A month without internet would be an incredible setback for me. It would mean no ability to update my blog. It would mean no communication with several friends around the world. It would mean greatly reduced access to my language learning and practice. None of these things are the end of the world, but all are significant to progress on my goals in life.



Moreover, a month without internet would have a major impact on a lot of other things I do. I would have to send out bill payments by mail, whereas I currently pay all my bills online. I would have to go to a ticket counter or a travel agent to book airfare, whereas I do that online (usually at least once per month). And I don't have any idea how I would find and book hotels without a travel agent.



I don't use a phone book, but I could if I needed to. I don't own a dictionary or thesaurus, but I live a few blocks away from a library. I do have a few maps of my city, so I could still find things without Google maps.



I don't think I would write any letters. They're not a replacement for email. I would probably make more phone calls and send more text (SMS) messages.



And a positive effect would be that I'd probably get out more and just walk around and do things... however that would probably result in spending more money. In fact, in general, I can see how giving up the internet would end up costing me a lot of money in many ways!

Troublesome Italian words with more than one meaning

In my studies so far this year, I've run into several situations where a word can mean two completely different things, occasionally reflecting a difference in pronunciation, and the only real way to know this is by context.

Here are some of the Italian words that have been known, at times, to trip me up.

piano
As a noun, piano means plan. This can refer to an abstract plan (like a schedule) or a concrete plan (like a blueprint), and related to this second type of plan, it also refers to... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

What is my weirdest pet peeve?

flip flops

All pet peeves are weird, aren't they?



Eating noises irritate me - especially potato chips. I don't know if that's weird, though.



I definitely hate the way people push to be first in a line that's going nowhere, like being the first to board an airplane with assigned seating, or pushing toward the door on a bus when everyone in front of you is getting off at that stop anyway. I'm not sure how weird that is, either, but it's really annoying!



People who punch everything. They're irritating. Like when you're in a public restroom, and the guy next to you slams the flush handle instead of just pressing it, or punches the button on the hand dryer. Dude, you don't have to kill it!



Okay, how about flip-flops? That's probably weird. I hate flip-flops. In fact, I actually have diminished respect for people wearing them. If you want me to have a serious conversation with you, you can't be wearing flip-flops at the time. I will not take you seriously. You'll be talking, but the whole time, I'll be thinking about how disgusting your feet are!

Introduction to Catalan

If you imagine a triangle, with Spanish, French, and Italian on the three points, Catalan would be the center of the triangle. That's the description that was given to me by Benny. And from what I've seen, I can't think of a better way of describing it.

I've always thought of Catalan as a dialect of Spanish. In fact, I've often heard those two names together in one phrase: Catalan Spanish. So having never had a reason to go to the region or learn anything about it, I never realized that Catalonia... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Lithuanian directions

In anticipation of a coming trip to Lithuania this fall — and as I spend time learning about my heritage — I have decided to learn about the language. This is also a great opportunity for me to put my list of "the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language" to the test.

We've already learned some Lithuanian greetings, some common courtesies, how to ask questions, and using numbers. This week, let's learn about directions... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian travel blogs

Perhaps the single topic that I read about the most is travel. I have always been fascinated with far away places and beautiful, exotic scenery... multicultured festivals and traditional styles of dress.

So naturally, when I am learning a new language, I go on the hunt for travel blogs in that language. When you're learning a new langauge, you need a lot of practice using it, and you also need a way to pick up new vocabulary. A great way to accomplish that is to read in your target language,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

What's my favorite quote?

If I had to choose one quote that I live by, it would be this: "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." That's actually just the ending of a bigger quote from Helen Keller.



The whole thing goes like this: "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."



But it's hard to choose just one favorite, because there are several quotes I love. However, I suppose there is a clear theme to those that are important in my life.



For example, Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with saying: "Do at least one thing every day that scares you." And of course her husband famously said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." One has to imagine that they shared an adventuresome and fulfilling marriage!



Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Always do what you are afraid to do." That was good, but in another place he said it even better: "He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.”



The secret of life he's referring to is lurking there in all of these quotes, but is revealed to the world in this quote from Marilyn Ferguson: “Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is freedom.”



In the end, those are your options in life: fear or freedom. Every time you experience fear, you are faced with that choice. You can only experience freedom when you conquer fear. Which is why, as Helen Keller said, "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."

You can use Twitter to learn languages too!

Yesterday I wrote about some ways that Facebook can be used to learn languages. Today, I'd like to continue the discussion of social networking sites by exploring some ways you can use Twitter to learn a new language.

Reaching content
First, let's think about how content-providers (such as bloggers, like me) are using Twitter. The first, and most obvious way in which bloggers are using Twitter is by "tweeting" a link to any new content we write. So right away, by following a language blogger... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

My Life, Ten Years From Now

10 years from now, I hope to be living in another country... or in several countries, as a permanent traveler. I want to earn all of the money for my cost-of-living from my web sites and online work, only taking jobs for extra money, and never because I need them.



By this time, I expect to speak 10 languages fluently, in addition to several languages at various levels of non-fluency. I expect to be a published author and photographer, and someone who is well acquainted with the world. I expect to be married and raising one or two children, and that the wife and kids will also be multilingual, and world-aware.



That's quite a lot, but the main thing is that these are not very materialistic goals. I have no idea idea or expectation of being rich or poor, or of having expensive cars or anything else. I'm happy to grow most of my own food, if that's how life turns out, but I'm also happy to eat in restaurants every day. I'm content with owning inexpensive properties in poor countries, but I wouldn't mind having luxurious properties in rich countries, too.



In the end, it's not "things" that make me happy... it's experiences, relationships, and accomplishments.

Can you use Facebook to learn languages? Yes!

I got a kick out of this post yesterday questioning the value of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in language learning. (And no, it's not funny because of the URL, though that did make me laugh.)

What's funny to me is the irony of a post questioning the value of Facebook and Twitter, which has both a "retweet" button and a "like" button at the bottom. Is the realization hitting you yet?

Just in case the point isn't already obvious, I'll spell it out: if a had such a blog,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Seven New England states in a weekend

If you've looked at my bucket list, you know that one of my goals is to visit all 50 states of the US. And even though it's not spelled out, I intend to complete that goal before the end of next year. Well, I just returned from a whirlwind journey through seven states in 3 days... so after this weekend, I've now been to 34 of the 50 states.

Friday was a work-from-home day for everyone in our office. We moved to a new office over the weekend, and workers needed to move furniture on Friday. So... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Lithuanian numbers

In anticipation of a coming trip to Lithuania this fall, I wanted to learn a little about the language. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to put my list of the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language to the test.

We've already learned some Lithuanian greetings, some common courtesies, and how to ask questions. This week, let's learn about numbers.

5. Numbers
Strictly regarding the number of words to learn here, there are more than there have been for the... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Where do you find the time?

Not long after I started this blog, I stumbled into a Facebook conversation about me. Someone shared a link to this site, telling his friends that I learn a new language fluently every year, and that I write about it on a blog. One of the first responses was, "Yeah? He must be unemployed."

Some people just can't believe that a person could work a full-time job, and still have time to do the amount of study required to new language fluently in a year. And then to spend time every day writing... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Mid-year progress report, part 2

It's mid-year, and even though I have only completed 5 months with Italian (I started this blog in February), is seems appropriate to consider this my half-way point.

Yesterday, I gave a general assessment of how I'm feeling about my progress so far. Today, I'm going to look at my status in relation to my stated goals for the year.

When I started my Italian project this year, I defined what it meant to be fluent, and I also laid out a number of goals regarding things I expect to be able to... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Mid-year progress report, part 1

It's mid-year, and even though I have only completed 5 months with Italian (I started this blog in February), is seems appropriate to consider this my half-way point.

So... how is my progress?

General assessment
Today I want to give a general self-assessment and talk about what sticks out in my mind... how I "feel" about my progress so far. Tomorrow, we'll look at exactly where I'm at in relation to the goals I set at the beginning of the year.

For starters, I think I've thoroughly examined... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Vital Information, in Italian

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. First, we looked at Italian greetings, at the common courtesies, and asking questions. Then, we looked at things you will need, numbers, and directions. And last week we covered basic Italian verbs, descriptive words, and words to describe body parts. Today we're going to cover the last item on the list.

10. Vital information
When we talk about vital information, we're talking about important things that you should be... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Body parts in Italian

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. First, we looked at Italian greetings, at the common courtesies, and asking questions. Last week, we looked at things you will need, numbers, and directions. And this week we started with some basic Italian verbs and descriptive words. Today we'll look at some body parts. Er, wait... that didn't sound right. We're going to look at some words to describe body parts.

9. Body parts
Okay, so this is the 10 things you need... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

How full is your plate?

We're all used to hearing it from people... or maybe even saying it ourselves. It's one of the best excuses for not accomplishing the things we want to do in life, or for not having the things we want. How many times have you heard someone say, "Oh, I wish I could, but I already have too much on my plate"? How many times have you said it?

Well, to be fair, maybe it's an American thing — we have an endless number of sayings related to food — but even if you don't know this saying,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Descriptive words in Italian

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. First, we looked at Italian greetings, at the common courtesies, and asking questions. Last week, we looked at things you will need, numbers, and directions. And this week we started with some basic Italian verbs. Today, we'll look at some descriptive words.

8. Descriptive words
The descriptive nature of adjectives, and their superlative forms the comaratives, makes them the necessary ingredient for expressing opinions,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Inspiration and motivation from an actor

This post isn't directly about language learning, but it's about motivation and inspiration, which is applicable to all of us.

Will Smith is an incredibly inspirational man. The way he came up from nothing in Philadelphia, to become a world-famous rap star before he was out of high school is itself amazing. But everything he's done since is even more amazing, and he's done it all with integrity and class.

The video I've included below is a collection of bits and pieces of interviews with Will... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Basic Italian verbs

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. First, we looked at Italian greetings, at the common courtesies, and asking questions. Last week, we looked at things you will need, numbers, and directions.

7. Basic action verbs

essereto be
guidaredrive
volarefly
venirecome
andarego
portarebring
poterebe able to
sapereknow
dovereshould
volerewant
averehave
avere bisogno dineed
mangiareeat
beveredrink
dormiresleep
leggereread
guardarewatch
vederesee
sentirehear
ascoltarelisten
diceresay
racontaretell
piacereto... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Things you need, in Lithuanian

In anticipation of a coming trip to Lithuania this fall, I wanted to learn a little about the language. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to put my list of the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language to the test.

We've already learned some Lithuanian greetings, some common courtesies, and how to ask questions. This week, we'll learn how to ask questions.

4. Necessities
It’s impossible for me to list everything that a person might need while away, but there... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

When and how to use зачем and почему

While studying Russian last year, I remember learning the word почему means "why" and then later learning the word зачем and that it also means "why". In the absence of a clear definition at the time, I just made the assumption that it's a stylistic thing and started swapping them in use to try to develop a "feel" for it.

Over time, I had started to pick up on some usage patterns. I've noticed that "зачем тебе" is often the response to questions that a person finds too personal,... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian directions

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. Last week, we looked at Italian greetings, at the common courtesies, and asking questions. This week, we started with things you will need, and we've covered numbers. Now we're going to talk about directions.

6. Directions
Direction words tell you where things are and where people go. They're not only cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) but also prepositions. I've already written more detailed posts... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

BBC Languages

If you're not already familiar with it, the BBC Languages web site is good online tool for language study and practice. It has many good resources to aid you along the way, and they're available for several languages.

Here are some of the things you'll find if you browse the BBC Languages page for Italian:

Italian Steps - a course for learning basic, conversational (not fluent!) Italian in 12 weeks
Talk Italian - a series of videos of Italian conversation in common situations. Note: the... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian numbers

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. Last week, we looked at Italian greetings, at the common courtesies, and asking questions. This week, we started with things you will need, and now we're going to talk about numbers.

5. Numbers
Strictly regarding the number of words to learn here, there are more than there have been for the first four parts of this series. However, these are all just bare words, not phrases, so it's not that much more. And numbers are... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

A language is like a city

Learning a new language is like moving to a new city. This analogy isn't originally mine — I got it from the Word Collector blog — but I really love the idea, and I want to expand on it.

Learning a city
The average person grows up living in one city. You start out learning the basics: where's your house, then what's on your street, then what's in your neighborhood, and so on. Eventually as you get older you know all the locations of all the hot spots; you can point someone to the... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian things you need

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. Last week, we looked at Italian greetings, at the common courtesies, and asking questions. This week, we're going to start off with a look at things you will need.

4. Necessities
It's impossible for me to list everything that a person might need while they are away, but there are a few basic things everyone needs to know. Remember, this isn't going to make you fluent, but it's going to give you what you need to get by.... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Lithuanian questions

In anticipation of a coming trip to Lithuania this fall, I wanted to learn a little about the language. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to put my list of the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language to the test.

We've already learned some Lithuanian greetings, and some common courtesies. This week, we'll learn how to ask questions.

3. Questions
I had initially expected Lithuanian question words to be difficult, as the parent language of those complicated... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Language profile: French

This isn't quite a first look, since I already have some experience with French, but that doesn't mean I can't still do a basic exploration of the language as I would do with any other language I don't know.

French is an official language in 29 countries. It is spoken by 136 million people as a primary language, by 190 million people as a second language, and perhaps another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language.

It ranks #2 (behind English) among the world's most influential... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Always pushing boundaries

"Do one thing every day that scares you." — Eleanor Roosevelt



I talk about fear a lot. Perhaps more than one might expect on a blog about learning languages. But I talk about it because I think fear is such an important thing to conquer. It is the thing that holds us all back from being who we really want to be.

Pushing a boundary
Have you ever stopped to think about what that phrase really means? What does it mean to push a boundary? Many of us hear that phrase and we think of... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian questions

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. Monday we looked at Italian greetings. And Wednesday we looked at the common courtesies. Today, we'll look at the third thing on the list: asking questions.

3. Questions
I already wrote a somewhat more detailed post about the Italian question words a few months ago. But today we're not examing them so closely. Instead, we're more interested in common ways they might be used and what you need to know as a traveler.


Che?What?
Chi?Who?
Come?How?
Quando?When?
Quanto?How... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian courtesies

We're coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. Monday we looked at Italian greetings. Today, we'll look at what I call the common courtesies.

2. Italian courtesies
When I use the term common courtesies here, I am referring to the basic courtesy phrases we all learn as children. These are things like please, thank you, excuse me, bless you, and so on... things that your mom made you say, and she got mad when you forgot.


Scusi.Excuse me.
Scusami.Excuse me.
(Con)... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

I wish I had a gift for languages

A common excuse I hear from people is "I'm just not good at languages like you", or "sure, it's easy for you, you have a gift for languages". But the truth is, I don't. I'm not even sure such a thing exists... but if it does, I certainly don't have it.

That's not to say that I don't have an easier time than many others — I probably do, but it's not because I have any gift. It's nothing more than the natural result of spending a great deal of time studying!

Strength comes from repetition
The... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian greetings!

I've covered a lot of grammar already, as well as a lot of other useful things to know about Italian. But I have gone almost halfway into this year without touching on the basics from my list of the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language... something I've already managed to start doing for Lithuanian, which isn't even this year's language!

So, before I waste any more time, I think I should get into some useful Italian words and phrases, starting with #1 on the list...

1.... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Lithuanian courtesies

In anticipation of a coming trip to Lithuania this fall, I wanted to learn a little about the language. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to put my list of the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language to the test.

Last week, we learned some Lithuanian greetings. This week we'll take a look at common courtesies.

2. Common courtesies
When I use the term common courtesies here, I am referring to the basic courtesy phrases we all learn as children. These are... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Learn Russian as it is really spoken... from LOLCats?

One of the most difficult barriers in language study is the disconnect between the words and pronunciations you learn in a book and those you hear in daily speech.

In English, we write "I am going to..." but we say "I'm gonna". We write "what do you think?", but we say "Whaddya think?" This same phenomenon happens all over the world in other languages, and it will confuse you if you try to learn from books and in classes.

In my super-fast year of Russian study, I took in a lot of vocabulary... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The world's most influential languages

I've seen languages ranked by many diverse criteria, including number of speakers, economic power of countries where the languages are spoken, and so on. But I've always felt like there were large numbers of people being forgotten and important details being overlooked.

How many people speak the language?
Population figures are relatively easy to find, as are data indicating the official language(s) of each country. However this isn't always a very realistic measure of a language's speakers.

For... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Hurrà Blackhawks!

After cheering for the Blackhawks all season long, I got to see them hoist the Stanley Cup.

Today I'm taking a day off from blogging.
... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The who's and what's of Italian pronouns

Pronouns are among the most used of any word in any language, and they have many uses. Today I'd like to take a look at some of the ways they are used in Italian.

Subject pronouns
By this point, you've probably already figured out that subject pronouns are frequently omitted. We learn the subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro) as we learn conjugations, but since the conjugations themselves tend to indicate the subject, it becomes very formal and stiff sounding when you use subject... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

These Romance languages are all just Vulgar Latin!

One of the ways polyglots become polyglots is by using the tools they've already learned in one language to help with the next. Sometimes those tools are more than just learning techniques. Sometimes, when studying a second language in a language family that is already known, the entire previous experience can be mapped onto the new language, making it easier to learn.

Vulgar Latin
Today, I'd like to explore how that works in the so-called Romance languages... though I prefer to think of them... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Preposizioni improprie

In addition to the simple prepositions we've already covered, there is also a group of "improper" prepositions, called preposizioni improprie, which are actually adverbs, adjectives or (in some rare cases) verbs, but which often function as prepositions.

Avverbi (adverbs)
The following adverbs function as prepositions.

sotto
under
sopra
over
prima
before
dopo
after
presso
by
accanto
near by
oltre
further
dietro
behind
davanti
in front of
avanti
in front of
innanzi
in... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Lithuanian greetings

In anticipation of a coming trip to Lithuania this fall, I wanted to learn a little about the language. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to put my list of the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language to the test.

Today, we'll look at the first of those 10 things: greetings.

1. Greetings
When I say greetings, I am referring to all the various ways people say hello and goodbye to each other. These things are the bare minimum of what a person can say to another... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

¡Ay madre! What your mother never taught you about Spanish!

One of the most versatile words in many languages is "mother", but there is probably no language in which it is more versatile than in Spanish. To a person who is learning Spanish but doesn't know slang, one could easy walk away from a conversation wondering why people talk about their mothers so much. However a long-time speaker of Spanish could hear the same conversation and realize that they never mentioned a mother the whole time.

How is that possible? It's possible because the fluent speaker... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Additional style notes about superlatives

We've already looked at how to form comparisons in Italian, as well as a few irregular comparative forms. Today I want to suggest one more way to convey the thought, and add a few notes on usage.

Augmentative suffixes
The Italian language allows us imply an additional degree of a particular adjective or adverb — a certain extra-ness, if you will — by using an augmentative suffix.

A while back, we looked at augmentatives briefly, but let's recap:


-one
libro (book)
casa... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The Lonely Planet iPad app failure

As a traveler and language learner, I am particularly fond on Lonely Planet's phrasebooks and I find many of their other travel-related materials useful as well. I follow @lonelyplanet on Twitter, and in general have a pretty good opinion about them.

So it should come as no surprise that when looking for iPad apps, I search on their name, hoping to find some can't-live-without killer iPad app for world travelers. What I found was 1000 Ultimate Experiences — a complete cop-out of an app, and... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Irregular comparisons and superlatives

In addition to the regular comparative forms we already looked at (using più and meno) there are also some irregular comparatives and superlatives for Italian adjectives and adverbs.

Irregular adjective comparisons
With most English comparatives, we just add -er and -est to the adjective (eg: light, lighter, and lightest), but that doesn't work with good, which becomes better and best.

In the very same way, most adjective comparisons in Italian can be handled with più, but the usual suspects... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The secret to overcoming shyness, conquering your fears, and building confidence in a second language

Have you ever found yourself in a perfect situation but afraid to take advantage of it? Have you ever passed an opportunity to talk to someone in a foreign language, out of fear that you would make a mistake? Do you ever downplay your studies or your skills out of fear that your reputation is better than your skill? If so, I've got the secret answer to cure your problems, erase your stress, and help you be better, happier, and more successful.

Perceptions are everything!
The demands of the... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Italian comparatives and superlatives

Comparisons happen in different ways in different languages. In English, for example, we just add -er and -est endings onto the end of and adjective to form comparatives and superlatives.

In Italian, they are also easy to form, though it is not done with endings. Instead, it is done with the comparison words più and meno.

More or less
Using comparison words instead of endings is just as easy, but there is one catch: you have to decide in advance if your comparison is, obviously, more, or... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Lithuanian, first impressions

I have long had intentions of learning about Lithuania, its culture, and its language, since that is an important part of my own heritage. This fall, I finally have plans to travel to Lithuania and start to connect with the culture that has been passed down from my immigrant great-grandparents to my to father, and down to me.

In preparation for that trip, I want to learn some basic Lithuanian. I don't expect to become fluent, but I do expect to learn the 10 most important things to survive in... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Thanks for the votes

A few weeks ago, this blog was nominated for Babla's Top 100 Language Blogs. While I certainly appreciated that, I didn't feel like I deserved it, and I even made a special request for you to vote for Benny instead of me.

I am honored to humbly report that even in spite of my request for you not to vote for me, I have still somehow managed to get into the top 10 for language learning blogs, and to be ranked #24 overall for all language blogs.

Thank you all for your support. I didn't feel... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Language is music

Last week, it was my great honor to receive a copy of Language is Music, a captivating book written by Susanna Zaraysky, about learning languages that seemed to steal the thoughts from my head and the feelings from my heart and pour them all out far more succinctly than I ever could.

About the book
Unlike my insistence that I do not have any special talents for language learning, Susanna found that she did, in fact, happen to have a special advantage. There was something about her that did... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Frequency lists help you learn what's important

In general, I hate the idea of lists or any form of measure or statistic when it comes to fluency. I believe that being fluent means being able to communicate on common subjects without a translator or dictionary, not some numerical measure of how many words you know or how many lessons you've completed. Remember, it's not a contest.

Nevertheless, there are a few lists available that will be extremely beneficial to you regardless of where you are in the learning process. Of course I'm referring... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Nobody's judging you

I often see people who are studying a language pass up opportunities to practice. Maybe they're trying to learn Spanish, but they never say anything in Spanish to their friends from Argentina. Maybe they're learning Polish, but they never use any Polish words with their coworker from Warsaw. Or maybe they're in the same German class as their best friend, but the two never say anything to each other in German.

One very big reason for why many people never seem to make much progress in their language... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

The pleasures and pitfalls of traveling with an iPad

This weekend I was away traveling, and I made the choice to attempt survival as a daily blogger using only my iPad. I wrote about that from the road on Saturday morning, but now that I'm home I have some additional thoughts.

The world is still not WiFi friendly
The first thing I found was that Wi-Fi can still be somewhat of a luxury. I stayed in a different hotel each night of my trip: Friday just north of Seattle, Saturday in downtown Vancouver, and Sunday in downtown Seattle.

I wasn't... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Let your method of learning reflect your goals with the language

A recent debate between two language bloggers got me thinking about the methods we all use to learn, and what works best for each of us, and I made a surprising realization!

A recent debate
I had to do housework while I listened to Vince and Steve debating the usefulness of grammar study, because I find "debates" to be insufferable and distracting. I could have just ignored it, but I also find Vince's blog rather insightful, and I wanted to see his take on the "debate."

I'm glad I did, because... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Listen to the news in a new language

When learning a new language, it is important to consume as much of that language as possible, in order to help your ears and brain adjust to hearing that language spoken. Outside of actual conversations, one of the best ways to do this is by listening to the news.

Easy to find
First, obviously, when it comes to materials in your target language, nothing is easier to find. Even if you don't live in a country that speaks the language there is often a good chance that television channels are... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

How I'm using my iPad to learn languages

There has been a lot of talk about the iPad since it's announcement, but it's been a lot of reaction and uninformed opinion, and very little helpful advice for using the iPad to learn languages. 

I'm out of town for three days, and I left my laptop at home and brought only the iPad. Instead of writing posts in advance and scheduling them, I'm writing this post on my iPad. I'm putting this device to the test.

Ok, so that's how I'm using the iPad to write about learning, but...

How am I... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Formal subject pronouns in Italian

Not long ago, I talked about the t-v distinction, which is the most common form of formal address in most languages. Italian, however, does things a little differently.

What does She want?
Instead of pluralizing the second person, or adding a title (like sir), Italians abstract into the third person. In the singular, this means that they call each other "she".

For example, when asking how someone is doing, if you are talking to someone with whom you are familiar you might say Tu, come stai?... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Overcoming fear of the unknown - knowledge is power!

Human nature is to fear the things we don't know or don't understand. When people act in a strange way, or talk in a strange language, it is easy to become fearful or distrustful of them. But once you start to learn, the fear is erased, and often replaced with curiosity and even a thirst for more.

Fearing the things you don't know
I recently told this story in my post about the Greek alphabet, but it's applicable here so it's worth repeating:
Growing up in the United States, I was surrounded... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

Texting abbreviations in Italian

The 160-character limit on SMS messages has had a worldwide impact on the use of language, leading to many creative ways of saying more in less space. But even without an imposed limit, people still use shortcuts in chat and in other places too. I recently found a list of SMS abbreviations for Italian, and I'd like to share them.

Some common abbreviations
Here are some common abbreviations and their fully spelled out meanings.

ankeanche
c sentci sentiamo
cmqcomunque
dmdomani
dpdopo
drdire
dv... continue reading at Fluent Every Year

New host, new name

FluentEveryYear.com is now www.yearlyglot.com. All the old links will still work, and you don't have to update anything.

Leaving GoDaddy
Until yesterday, I hosted this web site, along with almost a dozen others, on GoDaddy, but last night I moved away from GoDaddy to a new hosting provider.

In the last two weeks, GoDaddy's web servers have been hacked at least three times, and each time thousands of web sites were compromised — including this one. That's just too much. Once is forgivable.... continue reading at Fluent Every Year