Archive for November, 2010
Nov
Nov
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
Nov
Nov
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…
Nov
Nov
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!)…
Nov
Nov
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
Nov
Nov
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…
Nov
Nov
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…
Nov
Nov
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)…
Nov
Nov
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…
Nov
Nov
What happened to LiveMocha?
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,…
Nov
Nov
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…