I am a fan of online learning for languages. Without the Internet I could not have advanced so quickly in Romanian and Czech, for example. But online learning can have its problems. For three or four days last week, LingQ was so slow that it became difficult to use. We had not done anything [...]
Tag Archives: Language learning
7 May 2013
Motivation to learn languages
Our motivation is what determines success or failure in language learning. So what motivates us to learn different languages? For myself over the last few years, I can see a variety of different motivations. I am learning Romanian, a language that had not interested me before, simply for the reason that I will be visiting [...]
29 January 2012
Can we learn 100 words a day?
In a comment to a previous post, Stefan asked me how many words I thought I could learn in a day. We had quite a discussion on this, and I have given it some more thought. If I take my own Czech studies, I have been at it about 6 months. It is all…
18 January 2012
“Babel No More” by Michael Erard, a book review
Babel No More by Michael Erard is described on the front cover as “the search for the world’s most extraordinary language learners.” The book is well written, like an adventure or treasure hunt. A number of well known speakers of many languages, h…
6 November 2011
Audiobooks galore from China.
I am just back from China and 20% of the weight in my suitcase consists of audiobook CDs that I bought there. History, philosophy, literature, lots!!, in Mandarin and Cantonese. Some even have the text on the CD. My Czech learning has been brought…
6 November 2011
Nine ideas for reinventing language teaching.
Here is an interesting article that I discovered on how to change language learning. I think it was written by a language teacher too!
28 July 2011
Learning Latin online surprisingly popular.
Our poll to determine the next language to add at LingQ has a surprising front runner, Latin. If Latin wins, I will have a chance to listen to Cicero in the original, I guess.
17 July 2011
Language politics in Canada, Seven-up and Quebec Health website.
Languages can divide just as much as they can bring us together. In Canada, French-English language hostility is something we have just become used to in our country. The most recent nonsense concerns two unrelated issues. On the one hand a franco…
17 July 2011
The rewards of learning another language.
We have a contest going at LingQ, where we ask people to submit an article no longer than 400 words long, on the greatest rewards of learning another language. I am not going to compete in this, but I am going to add my two cents worth.I will do s…
5 July 2011
When we feel we are not making any progress in our language learning….
We all have the feeling, at times, that we are not progressing, despite our efforts. I often feel this way, but I don’t mind since I enjoy interacting with the language while learning, while reading, or listening or whatever I am able to do in the…