#language learning reasources

[sovietpostcards]

Okay, so for the "is Serbian or Russian easier" asker:

I'm studying Russian and a friend is studying Serbian, and we both started around the same time and put the same amount of time into our studies. This is not a definitive answer because the ease with which you pick up a language varies from person to person, and what your mother tongue is, but this are some things we discussed.

Serbian:

—If you speak a romance tongue you're going to have an easier time pronouncing it. —ES, PR , RO and IT, at least. No idea about French. It also uses less consonants per-word than russian so that might also be easier to learn if you don't speak a lenguaje that features them in abundance.

—It has a lot of grammatical rules that are a little bit to specific and that might be a pain. (Like verbs —or was it adjectives?— for the outdoors and the indoors being different, for example, but there are other's like that.)

—Less declinations than Russian, so you know? Maybe easier. Also also also, no hard and soft consonant symbols!

Russian:

—The grammar (at least up to the level I'm in) is quite straightforward. So once you get the gist of it you're fine. Also a lot of common use sentences are quite "simple", so you can get semi-conversational faster.

—As it is more widely spoken, it has more reasources than Serbian, which ultimately makes studying easier, whater you go the DIY way or get tutoring.

—This might be just my dyslexic Brain, but Russian cirillic is easier than Serbian cirillic.

I hope this is helpful, but I'm on my last braincells and it might not make sense. But ultimately, don't choose based on ease, becouse all lenguages are hard! The key to success is picking one you're really interested in and look forward to incorporating into your life!

Thank you so much! I definitely second the last paragraph.

[languages-and-tea]

Ideas for language studying

These are some of the ways you can study a language that come to my mind. Some will work better than others for you, and you should try them all to find which ones fit you best.

“Good old” group classes/courses.

A private tutor.

Language books divided in CEFR levels, or beginner, intermediate, etc.

Grammar books.

Vocabulary books.

Having a language learning notebook.

Using flashcards for vocab or grammar rules.

Interactive courses like Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, etc.

Free online courses, this can be something you download or websites, for example.

MOOCs (massive open online courses), they are online courses, yes, but I consider them as another category. 

Paid online courses.

Bilingual books.

Listening to the radio.

Watching TV.

Watching movies and series with or without subtitles in your target language.

YouTube videos, gold.

Podcasts, about learning that language or in that language about any topic.

Websites like italki.

Chatting with native speakers you met on the internet.

Writing in a diary or journal in your target language.

Reading newspapers, online or printed.

Re-reading your favourite books.

Reading children’s books if you’re a beginner, or for fun.

Reading manga or comics.

Reading novels from native authors.

Reading books about a topic that interests you in your target language instead of your native language.

Reading magazines, specially if you live in the country.

Buying cookbooks in your target language.

Searching for recipes in your target language.

Writing the name of things in your target language on post-its and laying them around the house.

Change the language in your phone, PC, tablet, Facebook, etc. to your target language.

Using Tumblr and following the #langblr community (lol).

[ravenlesslangblr]

Dia dhuit! I’m trying to become more fluent in Irish ,like we learn it in school but it’s taught so badly . I was wondering if u knew of any reasources or forms online for talking to people in Irish ?

Dia is Muire duit! Cad é mar atá tú?I know this is an overused piece of advice, but go to a Gaeltacht or a course where you’ll be forced to speak as Gaeilge. Honestly, that is where I’ve learned the most. Other than that, watch TG4, there is an odd video on youtube every now and then as well (No Béarla, Corp agus Anam - so good!)...but honestly for talking itself, you kind of have to do the work yourself and actually produce the language. I don’t think any textbook can teach you that. You can practice by writing, you know, go wild. Write imaginative conversations, a diary, fanfiction, movie scripts...Try to figure out what you often talk about and make sure that you always have phrases and vocab ready for it. I know I talk about music and languages a lot, so I know most of the words I need for talking about these topics. Getting a phrasebook could be a good start, but keep in mind that the way people speak is often different in the different Gaeltachts and it’s up to you if you want to stay loyal to a dialect or if you don’t mind diverting. 

Buntús Cainte is an okay place to start. Try going to a pop-up gaeltacht (if you have them around) and try chatting away in Irish. Try going to a conversation class. Just try and put yourself in a situation where you will be expected to speak Irish. I know we all hate it to use our target language because we are so insecure (or at least I am!), but honestly, with Irish, it’s the best way. You can’t listen to millions of songs as Gaeilge, you can’t usually switch your electronics to Irish (completely), you can’t watch any film on Netflix in Irish. There are resources, but immersing yourself is another challenge. So for Gaeilge, we need to make an extra step. I think. I hope I helped and if anyone else has any other tips, send them in! Also - if you’ve got any more questions, I’m happy to answer them! 

[study-milk]

Korean Language Reasources

Korean is a beautiful language. but for some its a difficult process trying to improve. Especially if you're self-teaching the language. For those who don't know where to start or what the next step is, here are some resources that can help you improve.

Some of my favorites:

https://www.howtostudykorean.com/unit1/

http://talktomeinkorean.com/

http://www.memrise.com/home/ 

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/korean/go/koreanclass101/korean-class-101/   

http://www.emagasia.com/korean-language-reading-practice-1-introducing-yourself

https://www.loecsen.com/en/learn-korean

https://www.learnlangs.com/RWP/Korean/index.htm

https://www.fluentu.com/ 

Some other resources:

http://domandhyo.com/

http://korean.cuk.edu/en/

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?

list=PLA5UIoabheFP2gBWM9maXVOb0af9nWuHN 

https://www.youtube.com/user/seemile

https://www.youtube.com/user/sweetandtasty

 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxK8JX0gFX40H-j1HPoP9xXguKFJXlkbK

 https://www.youtube.com/user/GoBillyKorean

 https://www.youtube.com/user/ConversationalKorean

http://www.tengugo.com/ 

http://www.poppoppingkorean.com/ 

http://dongsa.net/?search=%ED%95%98%EB%8B%A4 

https://www.youtube.com/user/davetehdave 

https://90daykorean.com/home/ 

http://www.topikguide.com/ 

https://www.beelinelanguage.com/ 

http://mylanguages.org/learn_korean.php 

http://korean.sogang.ac.kr/ 

http://thekoreanthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/09/korean-reading-exercises-part-1.html 

http://keytokorean.com/classes/beginner/full-beginner-class-vocabulary-list/

[necromancybilly]

Tbh I feel like there’s so much judgement in the witch community sometimes. And I also feel like there’s this part of the community that’s getting really upset that it’s getting popular and people are finding all different ways to get into it. Like... I would have started identifying as a witch so so so many years ago if I had access to the info I needed. I’ve been doing tarot for 7 years and, subtract a few classes, had to cultivate my practice almost all by myself because I couldn’t figure out how to navigate the internet for it and couldn’t figure out how to find other practitioners. I studied crystal healing too (which was a bit easier to navigate). I was always in magic or metaphysical shops trying to make connections and no one reached back. It blew and I stopped trying. I stuck to my decks and crystals and quietly went about my business because I didn’t feel invited to go further or I thought maybe I wasn’t allowed.

Now it’s so easy!! When a witch community started to grow in size across all different internet platforms I was stoked because look!! That’s who I am and here are more and more people sharing!! Like, it’s been a long time coming but now I can finally say I’m a witch because I can develop and learn and change and I’m so grateful for it.

I started following BUCKETS of witches and now I only follow a few. Because something about their language sounds like exclusion and there’s nitpicking of discovery and practice. Like, I can’t do that anymore. I try to be open with my practice with anyone who asks because it would have been really nice if there was no gatekeeping like I experienced that kept me from exploring. Even now I’ll say “I’m still learning” in a shop or to others and no one will offer help or support, I’m lucky if they offer it at a monetary cost.

But on the internet we can discuss and share what we feel comfortable sharing and grow. Am I angry witches are making a profit off their craft and hard labor? Absolutely not, I think they should! That’s why I shop at these small shops as much as I possibly can! Does everyone need to be my friend? No! But it would be nice to be treated as someone who’d like to learn versus a wallet or inconvenience.

I’m really sad that most of my learning comes from books and I’m sad to have lost reasources because I just can’t follow their videos or feeds because they have an undertone of “I know better than you” or say it outright. Or because I see them criticizing and nitpicking things that are not part of their practice or just something they’ve heard about and not seen or experienced. Like... That sucks. I think there are tons of things we need to examine as a community. Smudging is a great example of a convo that MUST happen and I’ve stopped using white sage because of it, which makes me a better, more socially conscious witch. But I also think that the end goal should be growth rather than shut down (which smudging is once again a great example of: it was clearly stated why it was bad and we all learned and became better for it, I hope). Because I really don’t want to go back to having no reasources and never sharing because I fear I’m not witchy enough or whatever. And I want more people to engage and explore!

This was a really long rant but, it’s one I, personally needed to get out of my system. I don’t know if anyone else can relate, but there it is.

[texan-smithie]

Spring 2018 Classes!

As of right now, I’m thinking of studying a combination of Government and Economics.

-American Constitutional Law: This class is probably my favorite this semester. We are briefing cases and running Moot Courts (where you play the Supreme Court, deliberating a Constitutional issue), so it’s a super active and involved class!

-Calculus 1: I took IB math in High School, and so I learned some calculus, but I really wanted to start at the basics. I was really nervous to take a math class that is so far out of my comfort zone, but I’ve really enjoyed it! There are multiple touring reasources every day (Office Hours, Math Forum, The Spinelli Center) that make it so accessible to get help!

-Intro to Political Thinking: This class is about classic western political philosophy. It is a lot of reading, and the discussions are always inciteful and thought provoking. So far, we’ve read Plato’s The Republic and Aristotle’s Politics.

-Spanish: The language classes at Smith are intense, which means you really learn a language! I’m super excited to continue taking spanish!

[airbnbfestivals]

Amikumu app for finding same language speakers

Is anyone else doing this? Many people who are using Duolingo to learn languages are also using an app known as Amikumu, which uses the GPS on the phone to look for people studying, practicing, tutoring or willing to speak our similar language in our area. (Language tutors can also find clients through the app)This is a good way to practice a language that we're learning, or to find others who speak our native language when we travel.So, a Spanish speaker that goes to an AirBnB in Tokyo can find other Spanish speakers, and maybe even find someone to guide them in their own language through the city or make new friends.Also, speakers of a minority language can find each other.The app was started by Esperanto speakers, but is being used heavily by the mute-deaf community to find other sign language speakers in their area.Amikumu could be a good reasource for AirBnB travelers and hosts whose guests are having difficulty communicating. A host could help guests feel a little safer or more familiar / comfortable (by finding other people who speak their language in an unfamiliar city), and maybe even find a friend or translator for their guest.Amikumu (like Duolingo) works with android or iphones. Get $20 off your first AirBnB stay.

[languages-and-tea]

GALICIAN book recommendations: classics & basics

(These are Amazon links)

hey, obviously my opinion

- A esmorga, Eduardo Blanco Amor.

- Follas novas, Rosalía de Castro.

- Que me queres, amor?, Manuel Rivas.

- Cousas, Castelao.

- Arraianos, Xosé Luis Méndez Ferrín.

- O lapis do carpinteiro, Manuel Rivas.

- Cantares gallegos, Rosalía de Castro.

- Xente ao lonxe, Eduardo Blanco Amor.

- Os biosbardos, Eduardo Blanco Amor.

- Antoloxía do conto galego do século XX, Luis Alonso Girgado.

Poetry books coming too. All these books are part of my childhood and adolescence because I studied them and dozens more. They mean a lot to me and I feel great warmth in my heart making this recompilation. There’s so much more I didn’t include because if it were for me, I’d put them all, but that isn’t a very good idea, is it? haha

BONUS:

- Historia mínima de Galicia, Justo Beramendi (in Spanish).

[languages-and-tea]

Which language would you be really interested in learning but you just know you will never get to learn it (either because it's too hard to learn or find resources or because hardly anyone speaks it or bc of other reasons). and please be honest, everyone has this one language they're dying to learn but just know that they never will if you know what i mean.

I will be honest, but my honesty will disappoint you haha. I’ve always wanted to learn Japanese but I know I will learn it. There’s enough reasources, it’s hard but not impossibly hard, and yeah, I will. You could say I feel like that with Korean but just beause I feel like once I’ve studied Japanese, I may not feel like studying another Asian language like that, I’m not sure tbh. But it’s not like I’m obsessed with Korean, I’m obsessed with Japanese. Korean is just one I thought could be cool.

I’m very simple. I don’t know much about the languages that exist in the world. I know the ones that everybody knows exist and not much else so, maybe one day I’ll know about one and what you described will happen to me.

Sorry if my answer was not interesting haha