Yearlyglot

When I look back at all the people in life who have inspired me, or who still do inspire me, there is one thing that’s true about all of them: they all stand for something. Interestingly, this can be a great language learning tool.

Staying on a recent theme, I intend to continue focusing on useful word patterns in Italian. While one should never stop learning vocabulary, my attention during the second half of my year of Italian will be focused more on learning words as part of common phrases, rather than simply as vocabulary words without any… continue reading

A few weeks ago, I wrote a basic introduction to Catalan, having never heard it spoken before. Now, after spending a week immersed in it, I have a few new impressions.
As I mentioned before, it’s common to think of Catalan as a dialect of Spanish. In fact, I’ve though that myself. But I… continue reading

I just returned from my week in Barcelona, and the trip was quite enjoyable. However it was also a very interesting lesson in contrasts. Different carriers provide a very different experience.

When you’re learning a new language, it can be very frustrating. In the beginning, the first thing you become aware of isn’t how fun it is, or how much potential there is… The first thing you become aware of when learning a new language is exactly how much you can not do.
Sure, you know… continue reading

As I’m 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, directions, and basic verbs. This week, let’s learn some descriptive words.

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,… continue reading

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… continue reading

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… continue reading

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!