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