Yearlyglot

Okay, we all know those cretins who seem to know the swear words in every language, but don’t know how to say hello, please, or thank you in even one foreign langauge. And we probably also know those judgmental prudes who refuse to ever learn any swear words because they don’t want to seem… continue reading

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about grammar which stirred a lot of reactions from people, accusing me of everything from being misleading to using scare tactics! And of course, since I’m making millions of dollars from people being afraid of grammar, I can totally see where they got that idea… continue reading

I’m noticing a troubling theme in the language-learning and language-blogging community: people who are looked to as subject matter experts, time and time again, encouraging their readers and followers to forego grammar.
I’m deeply troubled by this.

This is a guest post written by Natacha Cullinan. Natacha is an author at Third Year Abroad. ThirdYearAbroad is a website for students, by students, giving information about spending some time away, from short to long term stays abroad – whether you’re working, studying or volunteering!

Moving abroad can be some tricky business; once you’ve… continue reading

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.

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

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

Have you ever thought about what’s actually going on in your mind when you listen to someone talking? If so, you may have already noticed that your brain is guessing at the words to come next before you even hear them!
It works with reading too. If I write “six of one“, I can… continue reading

Yesterday I wrote about some ways that Facebook can be used to learn languages. Today, I’d like to continue the discussion of social networking sites by exploring some ways you can use Twitter to learn a new language.
Reaching content
First, let’s think about how content-providers (such as bloggers, like me) are using Twitter.… continue reading