Yearlyglot

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.

In my studies so far this year, I’ve run into several situations where a word can mean two completely different things, occasionally reflecting a difference in pronunciation, and the only real way to know this is by context.

In anticipation of a coming trip to Lithuania this fall, I wanted to learn a little about the language. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to put my list of the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language to the test.
We’ve already learned some Lithuanian… continue reading

We’re coving the 10 most important things to know to get by in Italian. Last week, we looked at Italian greetings, at the common courtesies, and asking questions. This week, we’re going to start off with a look at things you will need.
4. Necessities
It’s impossible for me to list everything that a… continue reading

In anticipation of a coming trip to Lithuania this fall, I wanted to learn a little about the language. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to put my list of the 10 most important things to know, to get by in any language to the test.
Today, we’ll look at the… continue reading

In general, I hate the idea of lists or any form of measure or statistic when it comes to fluency. I believe that being fluent means being able to communicate on common subjects without a translator or dictionary, not some numerical measure of how many words you know or how many lessons you’ve completed.… continue reading

With a little bit of creativity it is possible say a lot with just a little knowlegde. You just need the basics. If you have a solid understanding of these 10 concepts, you can survive on your own and figure out the rest as you go.

I am a big fan of WordReference, as most of you already know, but I saw this web site mentioned in a post by Benny after the first week of his three-month mission in Germany. After having a look, I thought it was a great tool to add to the language-learning arsenal, and worth a mention here.

When learning a new language through a program or a book, sooner or later you start getting new words for food. It starts with things that you might order in a restaurant, which are hard enough to remember. But before long you’re learning words like peppers, onions, garlic… and eventually you’re wondering what real use you’ll ever have for these new words, why you should learn them, or how you’ll ever remember them. The solution is simple: write your shopping list in Italian!

While we are discussing days of the week, and since I have decided to deviate from my target language on the weekends, I have chosen to discuss the names of the days of the week in German! While not as logical as Russian, German should be just as easy — or easier — just for its resemblance to English.