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Learning vocabulary from Youtube

Learning vocabulary from Youtube

At the moment, I would say that I have a grasp on the basic grammatical elements of Finnish. I can also hear the words spoken but I’m struggling to understand what they mean. I think now is the time to do more vocabulary work. I’ve found some vocabulary lists on Memrise which I’ll try to be consistent with and I’ll pay for a month of WordDive again to coincide with when I will be in hotel…

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How to start reading books in another language

How to start reading books in another language

So you’ve learned a bit of a language and now you want to start reading? Great idea! You already know that reading is one of the best ways to encourage your language learning.  You can learn new words, consolidate learned words and understand more about the culture by reading books from that culture, it all makes sense right?

But then you pick up a book and the words spin around in your head and…

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Your Guide to Being a Proficient Language Learner

Your Guide to Being a Proficient Language Learner

Here is my guide to the experiences of an advanced language learner (C1-C2)

Motivation: high Speed of improvement: slow but more targeted

Key Points 

use the language as if you spoke it like a mother tongue

this is really where you need to be interacting heavily with native speakers so considered an extended holiday, a job or other opportunity where you can get that

Resources and Activities

find…

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Your Guide to Being an Intermediate Language Learner

Your Guide to Being an Intermediate Language Learner

Here is my guide to the experiences of an intermediate language learner (B1-B2)

Motivation: up and down Speed of improvement: slower but continuing.

Key Points:

some days you’ll speak well and other day you won’t. Do easier things on harder days.

You’re going to be intermediate for a longggggg time. Get used to it.

Celebrate even the smallest wins.

push yourself to talk. You cantalk so do it.…

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Your Guide to Being a Beginner Language Learner

Your Guide to Being a Beginner Language Learner

Here is my guide to the experiences of a beginner language learner (A1-A2)

Motivation: high Speed of improvement: quick

Key Points:

rote learning and repetition are important

learn present and past tense forms to start having functional conversations

listen, listen, listen to the language as much as humanely possible

use the words you know, don’t worry about specific vocabulary. Using ‘happy’…

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My Language Goals April-May 2020

Hey everyone!

Now that I’m back in the realm of learning a language from scratch, I thought it would be good to bring back in some language learning goals.

Italian (C1-C2):

Focus on my studies ie. reading the text books, making mind maps and reciting the information to prepare for exams at the end of the semester. The subjects are: History of Work, HR Organisation, Methodology of Educational…

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My Beginner Finnish Routine

Hey everyone,

Like I wrote in my update, I’m now finally making my life-long dream come true. I’m learning Finnish!

For some backstory: my mother moved to Australia when she was around six years old. At home they always spoke Finnish as well as socialising almost exclusively with other Finnish families. My mother and her sister began learning English at school without other English learning…

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2020 Update

Hey everyone!

So in August 2019, I moved back to Italy to study at university. The visa process was frustrating but eventually I got it all sorted out and had the stamp in my passport. I moved to Bologna and studied everyday to do my entrance exam for the course. I had my sights set on the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the world. For whatever reason, my pre-requisites from…

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How is my Italian going?

How is my Italian going?

I have been learning Italian since the end of 2014 and then more seriously since 2016. In 2018, I went to Italy for a year and achieved 81/100 on my Italian B2 test. I’ve now been back in Australia for six months and I haven’t been studying much. I’ve had other priorities come up such as: work, other study, paperwork, music/singing hobbies etc. but I’ve mostly let them distract me because I know…

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How to Get Back into Learning a Language

How to Get Back into Learning a Language

I work in various schools and every time I meet a new class, I tell them about my interest in Italian (read: obsession). I do this as a part of sharing my goals, which I wrote about in this article, ‘Don’t Apologise for Chasing Your Dreams’.

The following day, a boy’s mother approached me and revealed that she had learned Italian all throughout high school. I was impressed with what she was able…

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Italian Pronunciation Tips

Ciao a tutti!

At the moment, I’m preparing to do the B2 Italian exam by the Università of Siena. I know that it is an achievable level for me as I have learned the concepts and done the practise tests. I didn’t feel that I could comfortably reach C1 yet, so that can wait for a year or two.

Recently, I’ve been bothered by my pronunciation. I see the words in my head but they come out differently.…

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What to consider before studying Italian in Florence

Florence is undeniably, a must-see in Italy. With its rich culture of arts, great wine and beautiful countryside, you’d be remiss to skip it. It’s also the ‘birthplace’ of Italian with the dialect adopted and transformed to define the Italian we learn today.

Which is why I thought it would be a great choice to live there for five wonderful months this year.

Here are some other reasons I chose and…

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How to keep your head up when you're feeling down about your language progress

How to keep your head up when you’re feeling down about your language progress

Language learning is really exciting in the beginning. You move quickly through the A-Levels and it’s all a new world.

However, at a certain point, you become aware of your limitations and HOW MUCH YOU HAVE TO LEARN.

Even worse, when you reach a solid intermediate B-Level stages in which the learning …really … slows… down.

I know my level of Italian is going well but for example, the other week I…

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Video; How to Start Learning a Language (and start a language learning routine)

Ciao tutti!

Here’s a link to my YouTube video that combines two of my first ever blog posts.

In this video, you’ll discover my advice for starting to learn a language by yourself.

There is also an example of a whole day language learning routine that reduces your need to study.

Above all, I doooooo recommend getting lessons to take you through the grammar of a language.

The aim of this video is…

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Shadowing technique for pronunciation

Recently I had an awful week of Italian during which it felt like I had regressed terribly. Obviously that wasn’t true but somehow I had lost my confidence and felt like that.

I like to combat problems in my life with plans. Even making a plan that I might never use can be extremely helpful to my peace of mind. Anyway! My problem in that week was that words didn’t seem to be coming out of my…

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Learn a language and a skill at the same time

My language learning philosophy is to take your normal life and make it Italian (or whatever language you’re learning).

Earlier this year, I knew I wanted to find more content to listen to in the background of whatever I was doing. I wanted something to listen to while I was walking, studying, washing dishes, cooking and even to fall asleep to.

I don’t like listening to just anything so I googled…

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Intermediate Language Learning Tip: Expressions

By now, my Italian is pretty solid. I understand most of what I hear and know the grammar quite well. I have a lot left to improve with my speaking but I’m working on it. A lot of time is spent in the intermediate+ levels of a language. Your progress is slower.

Something interesting that I’ve noted with my level of Italian is that, when I’m speaking to my friends, I am aware of when I’m saying…