letciastudies

[letciastudies]

Hey, how do you learn Italian? what textbooks and apps do you use? Can you give any tips for someone who is just starting out? Thanks in advance?

Hi!! Thank you for your question. 

Here is a rough plan I made when I started this blog, which is July 2017. It contains a list of resources I was using at the time. I don’t have access to my Schaum’s vocabulary book at the moment, but I’ll be resuming it when I get home. I would definitely recommend it if you’re an intermediate learner like me.

Other resources I’ve used consistently over the past few months are:

this website for free ebooks

this website for free audiobooks

raiplay for series and films (I also watched Suburra on Netflix, it’s brilliant and you should go watch it right now)

Eduopen.org and federica.eu are two websites that contain MOOCs in Italian, if you’re into that

You could also consider getting the raiplay radio app on your phone to listen to the radio, podcasts, and audiobooks. Note that not all of their content is available outside Italy. 

My routine is now doing a MOOC class (making notes and looking up new vocabulary) in the evening, or going on tandem and chatting to people, because I really have to focus on university studies. (I 100% recommend getting tandem on your phone. It’s free and really fun)

Before that, I used to read a lot of articles on La Repubblica  - just pick a section that interests you. I liked reading outloud to practice speaking, and it also made me focus on the text more. At the end you could make a list of words you don’t know. I also used to watch Cucine da Incubo (the Italian version of Kitchen Nightmares) and the dubbed version of The Nanny, there are lots of other fun programmes available on youtube so just look for something you find interesting. That way you won’t feel bad about procrastinating.. because you’ll be doing it in Italian!

Here are some other useful posts with resources (links included)

radio stations

podcasts

movies and series

a masterlist of italian resources

My tips for someone who is just starting out would be:

Do something every day. Or every other day, if you have little time. This is a lot better than just doing a lot on one day and then doing nothing for the next week or two, or three… your brain won’t retain new information if you don’t practice 

Make it fun and varied. I don’t use apps like memrise, duolingo, etc for any of my target languages because I find them very boring and repetitive. Find a routine that works for you.

If you are a complete beginner, take your time to understand the grammar. Verb drills, gender agreement, articles, and the like. Find a grammar book you like and stick to it. You could look up exercises online to complement it. 

Again, if you’re a complete beginner, start by listening to Disney songs! Look up the lyrics, print them out or write them down if you like, highlight new words, try to translate the lyrics line by line, and/or learn the songs by heart. When you’re a bit more confident in the language, find artists in genres you like and listen to them, and do the same. I listen to a lot of rap music, for example. I look up the lyrics on rapgenius and try to follow them and understand what they mean.

I know I’ve said this before, but go on tandem. Try to have a conversation, even a very simple one. Ask your language partner to correct you if you make a mistake.

Good luck!!! If anyone else has tips or resources for beginners, it would be lovely if you added them to this post!

[letciastudies]

things to learn during the holidays

music

read music

play the guitar

play the piano

play the ukelele

play the drums

play a new instrument

play a duet

sing all the lyrics to a song

the entire discography of an artist

compose your own tune

write your own lyrics

arts

doodle

using watercolour

using charcoal pencils

using new mediums

sketch people or portraits

sketch nature

sketch buildings

calligraphy

origami

photography

animation

stop motion

make your own zine

start an art journal

start a bullet journal

start a scrapbook

technology

editing photos

editing videos

making gifs

making gfx

make an interactive website

graphic design basics

programming basics

coding basics

HTML basics

use python

use excel

use photoshop

knowledge

a new language

sign language

expand your vocab for a language you already know

read up about a subject you’re passionate about

your family ancestry

your country’s history

another country’s history

your culture and traditions

another culture and its traditions

all the flags of the world

all the capitals of the world

basic psychology

creative writing

sports

swim

ride a bicycle

rollerskate

rollerblade

skateboard

acrobatics

self-defence

play a new sport

play a new position in a game 

dance

an entire choreography piece

choreograph your own dance

a new dance genre

food

brew your own coffee

brew your own tea

latte art

plating methods

blend your own juice

make a smoothie bowl

mix your own drinks (pls be legal sweeties)

baking

cake icing

cook a simple meal

cook an extravagant meal

a new cooking method

fry the perfect egg

pancake art

misc

public speaking

typing fast

reading fast

negotiating

sewing

braiding

do your own makeup

fashion styles

hairstyles

gardening

flower arrangements

card trick

magic trick

throwing cards

juggling

recognise constellations

[letciastudies]

This blog hasn't been active in YEARS, but now I need to come back to the studyblr community again. So, hi!

[letciastudies]

français | stationery

l’agenda (m) | planner

l'agrafe (f) | staple

l'agrafeuse (f) | stapler

le bâton de colle (m) | glue-stick

le bloc-notes (m) | notepad

le cahier (m) | exercise book

le calendrier (m) | calendar

la calculatrice (f) | calculator

les ciseaux (m) | scissors

le classeur (m) | folder

la craie (f) | chalk

le crayon (m) | pencil

l'enveloppe (f) | envelope

les fournitures de bureau (f) | stationery

la gomme (f) | eraser

l'imprimante (f) | printer

la languette (f) | sticky tab

le manuel (m) | textbook

le marqueur indélébile (m) | permanent marker

la perforatrice (f) | hole-puncher

la punaise (f) | thumb tack

la règle (f) | ruler

le ruban d'adhésif (m) | sticky tape

le stylo (m) | pen

le surligneur (m) | highlighter

le taille-crayon (m) | sharpener

le trombone (m) | paper clip

la trousse (f) | pencil case

[letciastudies]

français | the body

【 general 】

l’artère (f) | artery

l’articulation (f) | joint

le capillaire (m) | capillary

la chair de poule (f) | pimple

les cheveux (m) | hair

la graisse (f) | fat

la moelle épinière (f) | spinal cord

le nerf (m) | nerve

l’ongle (m) | nail

l’organe (m) | organ

l’os (m) | bone

les pattes d'oie (f) | crow’s feet (wrinkles)

la peau (f) | skin

le poil (m) | hair (either a few hairs, or an uncountable mass)

la ride (f) | wrinkle

le sang (m) | blood

le squelette (m) | skeleton

la veine (f) | vein

【 body parts 】

head & neck

la bouche (f) | mouth

le cerveau (m) | brain

le cil (m) | eyelash

le cou (m) | neck

le crâne (m) | skull

la dent (f) | teeth

la joue (f) | cheek

la gencive (f) | gum

la gorge (f) | throat

la langue (f) | tongue

la lèvre (f) | lip

la mâchoire (f) | jaw

le menton (m) | chin

la narine (f) | nostril

le nez (m) | nose

la nuque (f) | nape (of the neck) 

l’œil (m) | eye (plural les yeux)

l’oreille (f) | ear

la paupière (f) | eyelid

la pommette (f) | cheekbone

le sourcil (m) | eyebrow

la tête (f) | head

lower body

la cheville (f) | ankle

la cuisse (f) | thigh

le doigt de pied (m) | toe

le genou (m) | knee

la hanche (f) | hip

la jambe (f) | leg

le mollet (m) | calf

le pied (m) | foot

le talon (m) | heel

le tibia (m) | shin

la vessie (f) | bladder

upper body

l’annulaire (m) | ring finger

le bras (m) | arm

le cœur (m) | heart

la côte (f) | rib

le coude (m) | elbow

le doigt (m) | finger

le dos (m) | back

l’épaule (f) | shoulder

l’estomac (m) | stomach

le foie (m) | liver

les intestins (m) | intestines

la main (f) | hand

l’œsophage (m) | oesophagus

l’omoplate (f) | shoulder blade

la paume (f) | palm

le poignet (m) | wrist

la poitrine (f) | chest

le pouce (m) | thumb

le poumon (m) | lung

le rein (m) | kidney

les seins (m) | breasts

le ventre (m) | tummy

[letciastudies]

EMOTIONS/FEELINGS in French

This is a culmination of all my french emotions posts, so it’s a long one!

TO BE HAPPY

être content(e)

être de bon humeur

être en liesse - to be jubilant

être heureux/heureuse - to be happy

déborder de bonheur - to be overjoyed

être satisfait(e) - to be satisfied

être repu(e) - to be full/satiated/satisfied (food)

TO BE EXCITED

être emballé par - to be excited about sth (to be enthused by sth that’s happening)

être enthousiasmé - to be excited/enthused

être enthousiaste - to be excited

être en verve - to be entusiastic/excited about sth

être excité comme une puce - to be really excited

TO BE IN LOVE

Épris - lovestruck

Être amoureux de - to be in love with

Fou/follement amoureux de - head over heels in love with s.o

Être fou/folle de qqn - to be nuts for s.o

TO BE RELAXED

En prendre à son aise (avec) - to take things easy (péjoratif)

être détendu(e) - to be relaxed

TO BE SAD/UNHAPPY

être triste

être insatisfait(e) - to be unsatisfied

être mécontent(e) de/que - to be unsatisfied about/be unhappy about

TO BE ANGRY/FRUSTRATED

être fâché(e) - to be angry

être furieux/furieuse - to be furious

être de mauvaise humeur - to be in a bad mood

en avoir marre de - to have had enough of

avoir les boules - to be pissed off

être furax - to be furious/hopping mad

se fâcher tout rouge - to see red

se mettre en colère - to get angry

se mettre/foutre en pétard - to blow your top

se mettre en rogne - to get very angry

TO BE ANNOYED/IRRITATED

être agacé(e) - to be irritated/annoyed 

être énervé(e) - to be annoyed/irritated

être irrité(e) - to be irritated

être gêné(e) - (in this case) to feel annoyed - softer/gentler than agacer

Avoir les nerfs – to be irritated/annoyed/cross

Avoir les nerfs à vif – to be at your wit’s end

Avoir les nerfs en pelote – to be on edge

TO BE BORED (OR FEELING LAZY)

être ennuyé(e) - to be bored

être mort d’ennui - to be bored to death

avoir la flemme (de faire qch) - can’t be bothered doing sth

TO BE TIRED

être fatigué(e) - to be tired

être écrasé(e) - to be stuffed

être épuisé(e) - to be exhausted

être crevé(e) - to be dead tired

être vanné(e) - to be ready to drop

être claqué(e) - to be bushed/beat

TO BE STRESSED

être stressé(e) - to be stressed

Être sur les nerfs - to be strung out

Être surmené/débordé - to be stressed/overworked

Être tendu - to be stressed

TO FEEL SICK (TO DO WITH ILLNESS)

se sentir mal - to feel sick

se sentir mieux - to feel better

avoir mal - to be in pain

Avoir des courbatures - to feel stiff

TO BE SCARED

avoir peur (de) - to be scared (of)

avoir les jetons - to be scared stiff

avoir une peur bleue (de qch) - to be scared out of your wits (by sth)

avoir le trac - to be nervous

être effrayé(e) par - to be frightened by

être mort de peur - to be dead scared

TO BE SURPRISED/SHOCKED

être surpris(e) (par) - to be surprised

être stupéfait(e) - to be stunned

les bras m’en tombent - I am speechless

être choqué(e) (par) - to be shocked (by)

en être baba - to be gobsmacked (due to admiration)

être ébahi(e) - to be astonished

TO BE CONFUSED

ça m’embrouille - I’m confused - lit. this confuses me

J’ai du mal à suivre - I’m confused - I’m having trouble following

Je suis perdu(e) - I’m confused (lost) 

Je ne sais plus où j’en suis - I’m confused - in the sense that you don’t know where you are in something (figurative)

Je n’y comprends rien (or: j’y comprends rien - to be more colloquial) - I’m confused - I don’t get it

Je ne comprends pas - I don’t understand/I’m confused

J’te suis pas - I’m confused (I don’t follow you)

TO BE PROUD

Être fier de (note: feminine= fière) - to be proud of

Être orgueilleux - to be proud (to be a proud [as in haughty] as a person)

TO BE SMUG

Être hautain - to be proud (snobby/up yourself)

Être fiérot (fem= fiérote) - to be a proud person

Faire le fiérot - to be smug/pleased with yourself

TO BE JEALOUS

Crever de jalousie - to be eaten up with jealousy

Être jaloux de - to be jealous

Être envieux de (plus formel/soutenu) - to be envious

Jalouser - to envy/be jealous of

TO FEEL DESPAIR

être au comble du désespoir - to be in the depths of despair

Se désespérer - to despair/lose hope

TO BE GRATEFUL

être reconnaissant(e) - to be grateful

savoir gré à qqn de qch - to be grateful to s.o for sth e.g. je te sais gré de ton aide

TO FEEL SAFE

se sentir à l’abri - to feel safe

TO BE HURT/BROKEN-HEARTED/UPSET

avoir le cœur brisé(e) - to be broken-hearted/broken up by something

en être malade - to be cut up/gutted by sth

être affecté(e) - to be cut up about something

être blessé(e) - to be hurt by sth

être bouleversé(e) - to be upset

être dans tous ses états - to be in a state

être désemparé(e) - to be distraught

être peiné(e) - to be hurt by sth

être accablé par le chagrin - to be grief-stricken

en être tout retourné - to be bowled over/to be devastated~shocked by

être anéanti - to be torn in two

avoir mal au cœur - to be very sad/heartbroken (can also mean to feel sick/nauseated) avoir un gros chagrin - to be grief-stricken/heartbroken

TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE

être dans ses petits souliers - to feel uncomfortable

être mal à l’aise - to be uncomfortable

être mal à son aise - to be ill at ease

se trouver mal - to be uncomfortable (uncomfortable position - e.g. sitting)

TO FEEL HUMILIATED

être humilié(e) - to be humiliated

être mortifié(e) - to be mortified

[letciastudies]

a big list of french adjectives 💐

🌻 Describing People:

1. Physical appearance

aguichant- enticing, alluring avachi- limp, sloppy, baggy baraqué- well-built bizarre- strange boursouflé- bloated bronzé- tanned chétif,-ive- weak, sickly débraillé- untidy, sloppy dépenaillé- unkempt douteux, -euse- doubtful, dubious, questionable élancé- slim frêle- frail, fragile grand- tall grassouillet, ette- plump gros, grosse- fat hâlé- tanned insolite- unusual, quirky maigre- skinny mignon- nice, sweet mince- slender musclé - brawny, muscular nerveux- nervous, upset pâle- pale potelé- plump (like a baby) rabougri- wizened, shrivelled séduisant - attractive, charming, seductive

2. Character

abruti- idiotic acariâtre- sour, bad-tempered antipathique- unfriendly anodin- harmless astucieux, euse- clever, astute, shrewd atone- lifeless, expressionless avisé- sensible, wise borné- narrow-minded (“bornez-vous!” limit yourself) braillard- describes someone who complains a lot brave- good, honest, brave candide- naive, ingenuous, innocent, trusting casanier,-iere- homebody, home lover compassé- starchy, stiff compliqué- complicated; fussy (e.g. about food) compréhensif,-ive-  understanding dépravé- perverted dévoyé- perverted difficile- difficult distrait- absent-minded, distracted drôle- funny ennuyeux,-euse- boring évolué- broad-minded, independent, progressive exigeant- demanding extraverti- extrovert faiblard- weak, feeble fainéant- lazy, idle falot- dreary, bland farfelu- eccentric, bizarre franc- candid futé- cunning, smart guindé- stiff, awkward imprévisible- unforeseeable juste- fair lunatique- temperamental maladroit- clumsy mal commode- bad-tempered malicieux,-euse- mischievous, naughty malin- cunning malveillant- malicious, malevolent, spiteful maniaque- finicky, fussy marrant- funny; odd maussade- gloomy, sullen méchant- malicious, nasty méfiant- distrustful, suspicious méprisant- contemptuous, disdainful névrosé- neurotic perspicace- perceptive, insightful primesautier-iere- impulsive rébarbatif -ive- hostile, off-putting renfrogné- sullen replié sur soi-meme- introverted, withdrawn rusé- cunning sage - well-behaved, good saugrenu - absurd sensé- sensible sensible- sensitive sérieux,-euse- serious, responsible susceptible- touchy, sensitive, delicate sympathique- nice, friendly terre-á-terre- down-to-earth tordu- warped, twisted travailleur-euse- hard-working

3. Mood

accablé- distressed admiratif, -ive- admiring affolé- in a panic amer, -ere -bitter assoupi- drowsy béat- blissfully happy; smug, complacent cafardeux,-euse- in the dumps débordé (de travail)- snowed under (with work) décontracté- relaxed détendu- relaxed découragé- disheartened, discouraged dépité- vexed désemparé- distraught, at a loss effaré (de)- alarmed (at) énergique- energetic enthousiaste- enthusiastic gai- cheerful bien ententionné- well-intentioned lointain- distant mélancolique- gloomy navré- sorry, apologetic, upset paumé- lost, at sea ravi -delighted surpris- surprised tendu- tense vanné- exhausted vexé- annoyed

🌿 Describing ideas or events

1. Positive alléchant - tempting, mouth-watering attendrissant- touching bénéfique- beneficial commode- convenient cocasse- funny, comical conforme (á)- conforming (with) convenable- fitting, acceptable, respectable déroutant - disconcerting détaillé - comprehensive, detailed distinct - separate, distinct équitable - fair excellent - excellent, first-rate formidable - fantastic fulgurant - dazzling, thundery grave - serious honnête - decent hors pair - exceptional impeccable - great, without flaws important - important marrant - funny merveilleux - marvellous parfait - perfect passionnant - exciting percutant - powerful, striking, forceful primordial - of prime importance propice - favorable, suitable raisonnable - reasonable rarissime - extremely rare recherché - much sought-after, studied réconfortant - comforting réjouissant - delightful rentable - profitable, financially viable réussi - successful, well-done sagace - sagacious sage - wise sensationnel - sensational spontané - spontaneous subtil - subtle surprenant - surprising véridique - truthful

2. Negative aberrant - absurd, nonsensical abominable - abominable affreux - dreadful, ghastly agaçant - irritating aléatoire - uncertain, random ardu - arduous chimérique - fanciful, imaginary, idealistic, utopic complexe - complex courant - common, current déchirant - heart-breaking, gut wrenching dégoûtant - disgusting déprimant - depressing déraisonnable - unreasonable discutable - questionable, arguable écoeurant - sickening, nauseating ennuyeux,-euse - boring épouvantable - horrendous, ghastly, atrocious éprouvant - strenuous, punishing étrange - strange fastidieux,-euse - tedious, dull, tiresome frustrant - frustrating, irritating gênant - annoying immonde - filthy, vile impensable - unthinkable, unimaginable impossible - difficult; impossible improbable - unlikely inadmissible - intolerable inattendu - unexpected loufoque - crazy, over the top lourd - heavy/annoying malaisé - difficult malencontreux-euse - unfortunate médiocre - mediocre minable - seedy, hopeless, pathetic pénible - difficult, tiresome; painful pitoyable - pathetic prosaïque - prosaic quelconque - ordinary, mediocre rebutant - off-putting, unappealing répugnant - disgusting ridicule - ridiculous

[letciastudies]

Attendez demain. Au revoir, à demain ! Restez jusqu'à demain. C'est pour demain. Je le ferai dès demain. Quel est le programme de demain ? Je ne vais pas t'attendre jusqu'à demain. C'est pour aujourd'hui ou pour demain ? Ce n'est pas pour demain. Le monde de demain.

[letciastudies]

an introduction to women composers

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) from Germany 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Maddalena Casulana (1544-1590) from Italy 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Francesca Caccini (1587-1641) from Italy  📚 Wikipedia   🎵 IMSLP She was friend with Artmisia Gentileschi

Barbara Strozzi (1619-1977) from Italy  📚 Wikipedia   🎵 IMSLP

Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729) from France 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Duchess Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1739-1807) from Germany 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Marianna Martines (1744-1812) from Austria 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831) from Poland 📚Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Louise Farrenc (1804-1875) from France 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Fanny Mendelssohn [Hensel after marriage] (1805-47) from Germany 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP Sister of Felix Mandelssohn

Clara Schumann [nee Wieck] (1819-1896) from Germany 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP Married to Robert Schumann

Elfrida Andrée (1841-1929) from Sweden 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Terea Carreño (1853-1917) from Venezuela 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944) from France 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP She was the first female composer to be awarded the Légion d’Honneur in 1913.

Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) from England 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP Not only a suffreagette, but also a lesbian who was involved with Virginia Woolf and Violet Gordon-Woodhouse, among others

Adele aus der Ohe (1861-1937) from Germany 📚 Wikipedia    🎵IMSLP She studied with Franz Liszt. She was friends with and performed Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with him conducting. 

Amy Beach (1867-1944) from the USA 📚 Wikipedia    🎵IMSLP

Dora Pejačević (1885-1923) from Croatia 📚Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP

Rebacca Clarke (1886-1879) from England 📚Wikipedia   🎵IMSLP    🌀Rebecca Clarke.org (I have access to almost all her published works, let me know if you want me to email scans of something to you)

She studied with Lionel Tertis and briefly sang under Vaughan Williams. In 1919 her Viola Sonata tied in the Berkshire Festival of Chamber Music with Ernest Bloch’s Viola Sonata. She was also friends with Frank Bridge. In 1912 she was one of the 6 female musicians allowed into the Queen’s Hall Orchestra (later became the LSO)

Florence Price (1887-1953) from the USA 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP She began studying at the New England Conservatory after she graduated high school at 14. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra premiered her Symphony No 1 in E minor on June 15, 1933, making Price’s piece the first composition by an African-American woman to be played by a major orchestra

Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) from France 📚 Wikipedia   🎵 IMSLP She was the first woman to win the Prix de Rome when she was only 19, in 1912.

Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953) from the USA 📚 Wikipedia    🎵 IMSLP Became the first women to be granted the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1930

Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994) from England and Ireland 📚 Wikipedia    🌀Biography

Sofia Guabaidulina (1931-present) from Russia 📚 Wikipedia    🎼 YouTube

Joan Tower (1938-present) from the USA 📚 Wikipedia    🎼 YouTube She has 3 Grammy Awards and and she was a member of the Da Capo Chamber Players who won the Naumberg Award.

Kaija Saariaho (1952-present) from Finland 📚 Wikipedia    🎼 YouTube

Nicole Lizée (1973-present) from Canada 🌀 Nicole Lizee.com    🌀 CMC

Cheryl Frances-Hoad (1980-present) from England 📚 Wikipedia    🌀Cheryl FrancesHoad.co.uk

Dobrinka Tabakova (1980-present) from Bulgaria  📚 Wikipedia    🌀 Dobrinka.com

Caroline Shaw (1982-present) from the USA 📚Wikipedia    🌀Caroline Shaw.com (listen to Entre’act, I’ve played it, so GOOD!) She won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013, the youngest ever, at only 30.

Hannah Kendall (1984-present) from England & the Caribean  📚 Wikipedia    🌀Hannah Kendall.co.uk

Fjóla Evans from Iceland & Canada 📚Fjiola Evans.com    🎼 SoundCloud

Add any other women composers that you know of to this post!

#WomenInMusic   #WomenComposers

[letciastudies]

Vocabulary prompts for your target language

Wondering what vocab to learn? Are you curious whether your vocabulary is varied enough?

Here are some of the topics you might want to expand in your target language:

life and death (eg. stages of life, vocabulary for funeral)

family (members of family, family tree)

appearance (parts of the body, clothes, verbs of movement, fashion, diets, hairdressing)

character (eg. adjectives describing character, personality types, temperaments, emotions, feelings of love, hate, interest etc.)

health & sport (eg. parts of the body, diseases, going to the doctor, going to pharmacy, types of accidents, maintaining healthy lifestyle, fitness, gym, cosmetics, going shopping, mental health, sports, olimpics)

hobby and holidays (eg. activities of free time, night life, types of holidays in your country or in your target language’s country, active and passive way of spending free time, friends, games)

art (painting, drawing, films, literature)

house (eg. types of houses, living in a city, on a countryside, different types of rooms at home, neighbors, garden, chemicals for cleaning, activities like cleaning floors, washing the dishes, moving out, renovation)

food (eg. types of food, preparing dishes, traditional meals, writing a recipe, healthy foods, eating out) 

media (eg. TV, press, internet, news, types of presenters, types of programs, social media, ads)

technology (eg. types of jobs in IT industry, computer, phone, internet)

travel (eg. types of vacations, days off, business trips, places to go, travel agency, types of tourism, monuments, summertime, nature, names of countries, weather, plants and animals, foreign languages)

work & school (eg. professions, looking for a job, job interview, office work, dream jobs, balancing professional life with private, jobs in politics, being a celebrity, summer jobs, business, time management, subjects at school, stages of education)

society (eg. culture, social rules, savoir-vivre, law, government, idols, crimes, terrorism, wars, politics, religions, casework, classes in society, race discrimination)

You can add your own suggestions by sending them to me so that I expanded that list or by reblogging.

I hope this helps someone!

[letciastudies]

10 trucs faciles pour arriver en forme à l'école

[letciastudies]

Q's for you to A

do you have a favourite sweater?

what’s your middle name?

do you still talk to the first person you kissed?

do you get on with your grandpa`?

what was your favourite cartoon as a kid?

what’s your favourite cartoon now?

do you read the news paper?

who was the last text you sent to ?

what does the last text you sent say?

if you could have any hair colour what would it be?

do you like nature documentaries?

what is your aesthetic?

when did you last pet a dog?

whose friend’s parents do you like the most?

have you ever been on a road trip?

tell me about someone you know called emma 

are you reading a book in english class, what is it?

do you have a favourite aunt?

baths or showers?

skiing or sun bathing?

do you kill spiders?

have you ever made an ice pop?

are you wearing shoes right now?

tell me about you favourite primary school/elementary school teacher

who was the last person you hugged?

do you wear glasses?

do you have a cat?

do you have a favourite pair of underwear?

what was your last tweet?

do you still use facebook?

do you like birds?

who was the last person you called cute?

who was the last person that called you cute?

how did you meet your best friend?

escalators or elevators?

are you named after anyone, who?

what was your first url?

autumn or winter?

do you win at scrabble?

put your ipod on shuffle , who is the first song that comes up by?

have you ever drunk from a mason jar?

can you draw?

what was your first profile picture?

favourite tshirt?

best tumblr friend?

when did you last run?

do you like to paint your nails?

did you ever do something as a kid that got you into loads of trouble?

who is your favourite dog that isn’t yours?

have you ever been drunk?

have you ever done something you regret while drunk?

do you want to kiss anyone right now?

do/did you like you math teacher?

do you often ride the bus?

do you have a fireplace in your house?

are you violent when you’re angry?

do you cry when you’re angry?

favourite Harry potter book?

can you remember your last dream?

do you go to bed early or late?

do you speak a second language?

who was your first ever best friend?

have you ever had an operation?

tell me about your favourite cousin

do you have a piece of clothing that doesn’t even fit you anymore but you can’t bare to throw away?

have you ever been in a musical?

do you have a porch?

how many times have you watched your favourite movie?

what do you order at mcdonalds?

do you get on with old people?

science fiction or romance?

do you take naps?

how many classes do you/did you take in high-school?

when did it last snow where you live?

does it ever snow where you live?

how many months until your birthday?

how much charge does your computer have right now?

what is your favourite disney channel movie?

the city or the sea side?

what is your least favourite colour?

do you have homework to do?

are you still friends with your first best friend?

do you have/are you the gay cousin?

do you own dungarees?

do you like to play sport?

what was your favourite ever christmas present?

how old are you?

what is your mum’s name?

do you ever use internet explorer?

have you ever had blonde hair?

is their a play park near your house?

when did you last see the person you have a crush on?

who did you last talk to on the phone?

pants or dresses?

do you read fan fiction?

what is you’re favourite blog?

do you write poetry?

drama or comedy?

have you ever had a hickey?

 Your own question that you want me to answer

[letciastudies]

Aujourd'hui, à Toronto, il pleut mais le soleil n'est pas loin. 🌦

[letciastudies]

As a student learning French, I thought it would be neat to offer French resources not only for myself, but for other French learners!

Learning Websites

Duolingo 

Bonjour

Babbel

ieLanguages

TalkInFrench

TheFrenchTutorial

FrenchCrazy

TheFrenchExperiement

FrenchByFrench

Memrise

Busuu

LanguagesOnline

Lingvist

Dictionaries & Checkers

Bonpatron (Checker)

Languagetool (Checker)

Reverso (Checker)

Linguee (Dictionary)

Reverso Dictionary (Dictionary/Checker)

Collins Dictionary (Dictionary)

Wordreference (Dictionary)

Linternaute (Dictionary)

Larousse (Dictionary)

Pronunciation

Frenchcrazy English vs. French

Letter Pronounciation

FSI Language

TalkInFrench

Pronunciation PDF

Phonetique

PronunciationGuide

Fluentu

Grammar Basics

Contractions

Possessive Determiners

Indefinite Articles

Definite Articles

Demonstrative Determiners

Interrogatives

Partitive Articles

Prepositions

Conjunctions

Conjugating Words (-ER, -IR, -RE; regular & irregular) + examples

Accent Marks

Imparfait vs Passe Compose

Imparfait vs Passe Compose 2

Passé Composé (past tense)

Futur Proche (near future, using aller)

Future Tense

Feminine & Masculine Words (+ Genders)

Tips from Native Speakers

Vocabulary

100 Subjects

41 Subjects

1000 Most Common French Words

170+ Subjects

Space Vocabulary (Tumblr Masterpost)

Extra

Type French + its Accents

Studyblrs who are Learning or Already Speak French (click French)

French Words Daily (a Tumblr Account)

French Words Daily (another Tumblr Account)

Tips

Definitely keep a notebook

Take a class if possible

If you’re taking a class, write down any extra French vocabulary you may get; my teacher likes to call it “bonus free knowledge” when she gives us extra vocabulary

Practice pronouncing. All. The. Time.

Take notes

Have readable notes

Practice writing & grammar

Once you start learning, do not stop or else you’re going to forget things!!

Take quizzes & tests online for practice

Make some online French friends :))

Thank you for reading my masterpost!

MY MASTERPOSTS:

How to Color Code & Highlight Efficiently

How to Make Flashcards

How to Get & Be Motivated

How to Get Enough Sleep

The Mega Stationery Masterpost

What are in my Pencil Cases?

>> All <<

[letciastudies]

SEMI-AUXILIARIES in French

Semi-auxiliaries are verbs that are always followed by an infinitive. They have several uses:

They indicate the aspect of a verb:

The aspect of a verb indicates whether it is the beginning or end of an action, or whether it is in the middle of an action.

1. The beginning:

verbs: commencer à/de, se mettre à, être sur le point de

e.g. en entendant cette blague, tout le monde s’est mis à rire.

Upon hearing that joke, everyone started laughing.

J’étais sur le point de me coucher quand mon ami est arrivé.

I was about to go to bed when my boyfriend arrived.

2. During an Action:

verbs: être en train de, continuer à

Ne me dérange pas ! je suis en train de travailler !

Don’t bother me, I am working!

3. The End of an Action:

verbs: finir de, cesser de, arrêter de

e.g. J’ai fini de lire le journal

I finished reading the newspaper.

Au bout de trois jours, la pluie a enfin cessé de tomber.

After three days, the rain finally stopped.

 They indicate the tense/time:

1. The future

aller + infinitive = le future proche (going to)

e.g. je vais sortir bientôt

I’m going to go out shortly

e.g. J’allais rentrer chez moi quand Laurent m’a appelé pour me raconter qu’il ne n’aimait plus.

I was about to go home when Laurent called me to say that he didn’t love me anymore.

2. The Past.

Venir de + infinitive = le passé recent/(having just done something)

e.g. Violetta vient de sortir

Violetta just left.

Violetta venait de sortir quand Ramón est arrivé.

Violetta had just left when Ramón arrived.

(aller and venir are also verbs of motion, not only semi-auxiliaries)

to be continued…

[letciastudies]

You bored, or feeling artsy but don’t have any inspiration...? *updated!*

Do you need to distract yourself? Or are you simply bored? Here are some great websites to make the time pass.

create pixel art

Awesome photo editor and art program, all free…!

Totally free transparent textures

make a cute chibi

draw some cool generative art

be a graffiti creator

create a picassohead (you don’t need to be a picasso to do so)

paint online

another awsome site to create pixel art on

and another one

create your own mandala

or color one

create an avatar

or you can try creating your own superhero

here you can interact with organisms in different environments to see how to music changes

here’s a website that translates the time into hexidecimal colours,

Here is a website where you can travel along a 3D line into the infinite unkown

here is a website where you can listen to rain with or without music

Need a model in a certain pose for drawing? here

Want to build your own planet

here is a website where you can create your own galaxies

make your own pattern (very useful if you need a new background)

create next hit comic

make a city which looks like something from 90′s games

draw a mandala like design

jig saw puzzles

more jig saw puzzles to solve

create a stunning HTML5 animation - no coding!

make a movie

create and dress up dolls

play a piano

you can also play a guitar

create sounds

another sound creator

create a logo

design your dream home

sketch rooms

explore fashion trends and create your own sets

build a website

try this app for building a website

Or maybe start learning how to code!

design your own t-shirt or a beanie or sweatpants and order them

design your own phone case

pretend to be a graphic designer with this cool online tool

Make your own Glitch art

Here’s another glitch art maker

And another!

Holy hell, here’s a third!

make an image look like it was created by a commodore 64

freaking cool text generator!

Easy to use word processor

Make up really cool patterns or run your photos through it :)

Write an essay on anything with no hassle

Wanna see how something you write would look like if it was on JacksFilms YGS((Your Grammar Sucks videos on YouTube))?

Make pictures out of text

ASCII word generator

Need an idea for some fanart-here :D

Still haven’t found something that would float your boat? Try these:

watch a documentary

learn to code

do something yourself

workout with the help of this great youtube channels

learn things

play pokemon or zelda or other awesome old school games

waste your time on miniclip

play games at additing games

or try games at agame

calm your thoughts

the quiet place

it will be okay

vent or listen to someone

pour out your soul

explore the sky

look at art from around the world

virtually visit museum of iraq

explore world with arounder

create a music playlist

list through rare books

scroll useful science website

create sand art

brain games

try out tastekid and discover new favorite band or movie or book

interactive 3D anatomy

random street view

post a secret

create a family tree

find our what’s the difference between x and y

help scientists and become volunteer researcher

create your own font

read a classic short story

In the mood to read, but not sure exactly what book to go for?

scribble on maps

listen to letters

play with acrobots

listen to podcasts

make a bucket list

Ever want to see the most truly useless websites in creation?

Prank a friend with this blue screen of death!

Zone out watching the colors drip down

Maybe none of these peeked your interest-maybe you’ve been wanting to create an o.c, but never really knew how to start-or you just enjoy making O.C’s….

This masterlist is to help you in making your own OCs….it can also apply to developing RP characters i suppose! (´ヮ`)!

How to Write Better OCs:

basic tips on how to make your oc even better

tragic backstory? learn how to write one/make yours great

writing specific characters

a wordier, great guide on how to develop your character

kick out those vague descriptions and make them AWESOME

Character Development:

how to actually make an OC

Q&A (to develop characters)

more Q&As

giving your character a backstory

how to write an attractive character

Need an Appearance idea?

Humanoid generator? check

Here’s another one

and maybe if you didn’t like those this’ll work

Need Monsterpeople?

Well, then here ya’ go

Maybe you need Cats?

Diversity

adding more racial diversity

avoiding tokenism, AKA, how to add diversity to your cast not just because you “need” it

writing sexuality and gender expression (doesnt include non binary, if you have a good ref to that, please add on!)

masterpost on writing more diversity into your story

cultures of the world

guides to drawing different ethnicities (not just a great art reference, but also really helpful in appearance descriptions!)

Mary Sue/Gary Stu

Test to see if your character is a Sue

Explains subdivisions of Sues/Stus

Powerful Characters Don’t Have to Be Sues

Villains

villain generator

need an evil sounding name for your evil character? bam

villain archetypes

what’s your villain’s motive for being a villain?

Relationships

character perceptions (What your character thinks of themselves and what others think of them)

how to write strong relationships between two characters

8 ways to write better characters and develop their relationships with others

OCxLove Interest Handbook

develop your couple with good ol’ Q&A!

how to write realistic relationships

how to write relatives for your characters (this is more OC related to a canon character, but will help in writing family members in general)

ARCHETYPES

12 common archetypes

8 archetypes for male/female characters

female archetypes (goes pretty indepth from two main categories)

a list of archetypes

NAMES

how to name your character

random name generator

most common surnames

surnames by ethnicity

APPEARANCE

tips for better design

basic appearance generator

pinterest board for character design (includes NSFW and images of skeletons/exposed muscle (?) so tread carefully!)

clothing ref masterpost

Clothing generator

Another clothing generator

More clothing generator

Aaaand even more

Steam punk clothing

Char Style preference

Dress Generator

DETAILS

give your character better powers

a list of professions

proactive vs reactive characters

positive and negative traits

interest generator

skills generator

motivation generator

123 ideas for character flaws

list of phobias

Oh shit someone died

Backgrounds and stuff? yep

Quirks

Personality. you need that shit

Need something fandom related?

City generator hell yeah

location? got ya

World-building?

make your own god damn laws

Landscape.

Need Item names?

Fantasy/sci-fi/etc. medicine names

Stuff to make things more interesting.Weapons, clothes, treasures… whatever your characters need.

Item & Artifact Generators

Other stuffs!

Genre, Plot, & Story Prompt Generators

How did your characters meet?

Fanfic plots. you bet your ass.

[letciastudies]

Top 100 most common French verbs

1. Être ~ to be 

2. Avoir ~ to have

3. Pouvoir ~ to be able (can)

4. Faire ~ to do; to make

5. Mettre ~ to put; to place

6. Dire ~ to say; to tell

7. Devoir ~ to have to, must, to owe

8. Prendre ~ to take; to catch; to capture

9. Donner ~ to give; to produce

10. Aller ~ to go

11. Vouloir ~ to want; to wish

12. Savoir ~ to know

13. Falloir ~ to have to

14. Voir ~ to see

15. Demander ~ to ask; to request

16. Trouver ~ to find; to discover

17. Rendre ~ to return (something); to give back

18. Venir ~ to come

19. Passer ~ to pass; to go past

20. Comprendre ~ to understand; to include; to comprehend

21. Rester ~ to stay; to remain

22. Tenir ~ to hold; to keep

23. Porter ~ to carry; to wear

24. Parler ~ to speak; to talk

25. Montrer ~ to show; to display

26. Continuer ~ to continue

27. Penser ~ to think

28. Suivre ~ to follow; to pay attention

29. Connaître ~ to know; to be acquainted with 

30. Croire ~ to believe in

31. Commencer ~ to begin; to start; to commence

32. Compter ~ to count

33. Entendre ~ to hear; to understand

34. Attendre ~ to wait; to expect

35. Remettre ~ to put back (on); to replace; to deliver

36. Appeler ~ to call; to contact

37. Permettre ~ to permit; to allow; to enable

38. Occuper ~ to occupy; to take up (space/time)

39. Devenir ~ to become, to grow (into); to turn (into)

40. Partir ~ to leave; to depart; to proceed

41. Décider ~ to decide; to persuade

42. Arriver ~ to arrive; to happen

43. Servir ~ to serve

44. Sembler ~ to seem

45. Revenir ~ to return; to come back

46. Laisser ~ to leave; to allow; to let

47. Recevoir ~ to receive; to welcome

48. Répondre ~ to reply; to answer

49. Vivre ~ to live

50. Rappeler ~ to call back; to remind

51. Présenter ~ to present; to introduce

52. Accepter ~ to accept

53. Agir ~ to act

54. Poser ~ to put down; to pose; to lay (something) down

55. Jouer ~ to play; to act; to gamble

56. Reconnaître ~ to recognize; to acknowledge 

57. Choisir ~ to choose; to select

58. Toucher ~ to touch; to feel; to affect

59. Aimer ~ to like; to love

60. Retrouver ~ to find; to regain; to meet up

61. Perdre ~ to lose; to waste

62. Expliquer ~ to explain; to account for

63. Considérer ~ to consider; to study

64. Ouvrir ~ to open (up)

65. Gagner ~ to win; to earn; to gain

66. Exister ~ to exist

67. Refuser ~ to refuse

68. Lire ~ to read

69. Réussir ~ to succeed

70. Changer ~ to change; to alter

71. travailler ~ to work

72. Représenter ~ to represent; to depict; to portray

73. Assurer ~ to secure; to assure; to insure

74. Essayer ~ to try; to attempt

75. Empêcher ~ to prevent; to stop

76. Sortir ~ to go out; to leave; to exit; to come out

77. Reprendre ~ to resume; to recover; to take back

78. Mener ~ to lead; to conduct

79. Appartenir ~ to belong ~ to concern

80. Risquer ~ to risk

81. Concerner ~ to concern; to affect

82. Apprendre ~ to learn; to teach; to hear of 

83. Rencontrer ~ to meet; to encounter

84. Créer ~ to create; to build

85. Obtenir ~ to obtain; to get

86. Chercher ~ to look for; to seek

87. Entrer ~ to enter; to go in

88. Proposer ~ to suggest; to propose; to offer

89. Apporter ~ to bring; to cause

90. Utiliser ~ to use; to employ

91. Atteindre ~ to reach; to attain; to achieve

92. Tenter ~ to tempt

93. Importer ~ to import; to matter

94. Ajouter ~ to add

95. Produire ~ to produce

96. Préparer ~ to prepare (something); to make

97. Relever ~ to raise; to stand up; to pick up

98. Écrire ~ to write

99. Défendre ~ to defend; to stand up for; to forbid

100. Tirer ~ to pull; to draw (curtains, sword, etc); to fire (gun); to print