gonflé
inflated, swollen, puffed up
걸림돌
literally: a rock in the way
meaning: hinderance, setback
meaning: hinderance, setback
合适
héshì
suitable
家具
かぐ
furniture
Céline xx
Thursday 18 December 2014
Language Learning Tip #2
Language Learning Tip #2: Listen to the radio
Download a radio app such as TuneIn Radio and go find radio stations which are in your target language!
For example, I am currently listening to "105.5 France Info" using the TuneIn Radio app on my iPhone. Listening to French radio allows me to train my ears to get used to the different French sounds.
You don't have to understand 100% of what's being said, but just try to pick up on various words and get used to the "flow" of sentences.
Céline xx
Download a radio app such as TuneIn Radio and go find radio stations which are in your target language!
For example, I am currently listening to "105.5 France Info" using the TuneIn Radio app on my iPhone. Listening to French radio allows me to train my ears to get used to the different French sounds.
You don't have to understand 100% of what's being said, but just try to pick up on various words and get used to the "flow" of sentences.
Céline xx
Using Parallel Texts
Once you've reached a certain level in your language learning - a level where you can somewhat start reading in that language (real texts, not texts from textbooks which have been specifically formulated so that you can read them with ease), a good way to improve your vocabulary and also improve the speed of your reading is to use parallel texts.
Parallel text readers are those books which have been made such that one side has one language, and the other has another. So for example, the one I'm using now for French is this one:
Parallel text readers are those books which have been made such that one side has one language, and the other has another. So for example, the one I'm using now for French is this one:
New Penguin Parallel Text: Short Stories in French (Nouvelles en Français), edited by Richard Coward
As I read the texts, I underline the words that are new to me and then immediately I can find out what the words mean and how they fit into the sentence by looking at the translation on the next page.
These books are a really handy way of learning vocabulary, without having to look up each word in a separate dictionary :) It's also helpful because it provide real-life usage, rather than just getting the meaning in the dictionary which can often be out of context.
Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions regarding this post below :-)
Céline xx
Posted with BlogsyWednesday 17 December 2014
Words of the Day 171214
French:
mal à l'aise
uncomfortable
신경쓰다
to pay attention to
进步
jìnbù
to make progress
方法
ほうほう
method
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I will be adding these "Words of the day" to this blog as I learn them whilst studying (except for Korean of course ^^ The Korean words will be at random)
Please let me know if there are any mistakes :)
Language Learning Tip #1
Language Learning Tip #1: Keep talking to yourself.
We all know that it's hard to actually put the grammar and vocabulary that you've learnt to use, unless 1) You're in that country, 2) You have a personal tutor, and/or 3) You know someone who speaks that language.
But even if you have someone to talk to, you can't talk to them 24/7 right?
So this is what I do: I just talk to myself.
I know it sounds totally weird, but it really helps. Sometimes I say things out loud, and sometimes I just say it in my head. I usually make up a scenario, such as ordering food at restaurant, or talking to a friend about what I did on the weekend and then I just...talk to myself!
When you do that, I guess you don't really know whether you are correct or not...but hey, does that really matter? After many years of language learning I realised that people who aren't afraid to just say it out without having all the grammar and vocab correct are the people who end up being able to use the language faster, than those who wait until they get every single word and grammar point correct and then speak (this use to be me).
So back to "self-talking": as you talk to yourself, you will hit walls (such as words you don't know). What you should do is, first just use English or whatever language you know instead. Then, make sure you write it down and then look it up in the dictionary. This way, you will find it easier to remember, because you have a memory of trying to express the word, failing, and then looking it up in the dictionary for it.
For example, I was trying to recount an incident that had happened to me and I wanted to say "I pushed the button" in French. However, I realised...I had no idea what "to push" was in French. So, I just said to myself "J'ai push le bouton". Then I wrote "to push" down to look up later. Later on, I found out that "to push" was "appuyer". And so now, I will definitely remember what "to push" is in French because I have this memory to refer back to!
I found this method to be much better than just trying to memorise words from a list. Obviously if you're studying for an exam with like 100 words to learn, this method is not going to be the best for you. But, if you're like me, and just wanting to be able to use the language, I suggest you give it a try :)
Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions ^^
Céline xx
We all know that it's hard to actually put the grammar and vocabulary that you've learnt to use, unless 1) You're in that country, 2) You have a personal tutor, and/or 3) You know someone who speaks that language.
But even if you have someone to talk to, you can't talk to them 24/7 right?
So this is what I do: I just talk to myself.
I know it sounds totally weird, but it really helps. Sometimes I say things out loud, and sometimes I just say it in my head. I usually make up a scenario, such as ordering food at restaurant, or talking to a friend about what I did on the weekend and then I just...talk to myself!
When you do that, I guess you don't really know whether you are correct or not...but hey, does that really matter? After many years of language learning I realised that people who aren't afraid to just say it out without having all the grammar and vocab correct are the people who end up being able to use the language faster, than those who wait until they get every single word and grammar point correct and then speak (this use to be me).
So back to "self-talking": as you talk to yourself, you will hit walls (such as words you don't know). What you should do is, first just use English or whatever language you know instead. Then, make sure you write it down and then look it up in the dictionary. This way, you will find it easier to remember, because you have a memory of trying to express the word, failing, and then looking it up in the dictionary for it.
For example, I was trying to recount an incident that had happened to me and I wanted to say "I pushed the button" in French. However, I realised...I had no idea what "to push" was in French. So, I just said to myself "J'ai push le bouton". Then I wrote "to push" down to look up later. Later on, I found out that "to push" was "appuyer". And so now, I will definitely remember what "to push" is in French because I have this memory to refer back to!
I found this method to be much better than just trying to memorise words from a list. Obviously if you're studying for an exam with like 100 words to learn, this method is not going to be the best for you. But, if you're like me, and just wanting to be able to use the language, I suggest you give it a try :)
Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions ^^
Céline xx
My mantra.
I just wanted to share my personal "mantra" towards language learning with you.
Well technically it's not really a mantra, but it's definitely something I keep telling myself when I feel a bit "can't be bothered" whilst learning / studying a language.
This is how I feel about learning / studying a language because language is something which is fluid and not solid.
I have personally experienced this will learning Japanese. I studied Japanese for 5 years and got to a point where I was writing essays and being able to hold a decent conversation. Then, I just stopped studying it. And since I didn't have any reason to use it....I just lost all my abilities. And now, all I can do is read hiragana and katakana...maybe a few kanji..definitely cannot hold a conversation, let alone understand it when I hear it!!
So just because you've attained a level that your happy with, it doesn't mean that it will stay that way. In a way, it's like losing weight. You can go on a diet, lose weight and reach your "goal weight", but it won't stay that way if you go back to your old ways. Language is also the same, it's all about "maintenance".
Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions :)
Céline xx
Well technically it's not really a mantra, but it's definitely something I keep telling myself when I feel a bit "can't be bothered" whilst learning / studying a language.
"Every day not spent studying, is like a step backwards"
This is how I feel about learning / studying a language because language is something which is fluid and not solid.
I have personally experienced this will learning Japanese. I studied Japanese for 5 years and got to a point where I was writing essays and being able to hold a decent conversation. Then, I just stopped studying it. And since I didn't have any reason to use it....I just lost all my abilities. And now, all I can do is read hiragana and katakana...maybe a few kanji..definitely cannot hold a conversation, let alone understand it when I hear it!!
So just because you've attained a level that your happy with, it doesn't mean that it will stay that way. In a way, it's like losing weight. You can go on a diet, lose weight and reach your "goal weight", but it won't stay that way if you go back to your old ways. Language is also the same, it's all about "maintenance".
Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions :)
Céline xx
Why I want to be a polyglot.
Everyone has their own reason (or reasons) for learning another language. Perhaps it's because they want to go work in another country, or perhaps it's because they are fascinated by the other country's culture. Whatever the reason, I firmly believe that being a "multilingual" (and thus a "polyglot") is beneficial.
In fact, it is said that bilinguals (and thus multilinguals) are smarter in general (check out this article by NYTimes). Talk about motivation to learn new languages!
Apart from this, below are the reasons why I want to become a polyglot (well technically I am a polyglot already, since I am able to use more that two languages...but I feel like I can't really call myself a true polyglot, compared to those who can use 3-5 languages fluently!)
1) Being able understand others
I live in a multicultural environment and so I get exposed to all types of languages on a day-to-day basis. And it's super frustrating not being able to understand them! And as a person who is able to speak Korean, sometimes there are words you just can't express in English...so knowing more languages will hopefully help alleviate this frustration :D
2) Travelling
I love travelling and seeing new places. Ok, so English can help you to an extent...but it can only get you so far. I remember being in a taxi in Beijing and trying to communicate with the taxi driver.. It was so so difficult, especially because he's sitting there looking at the road and driving, and so I couldn't even use facial expressions nor hand gestures.... :| This was exactly the reason why I decided to study Chinese! I also just feel that you get a better experience overall when you know at least a little bit of the language used in any place you visit :)
3) Culture
Just imagine reading Haruki Murakami in Japanese and how awesome it would be. Reading translations are fine, but there are just some nuances and general "feels" that you don't get when you're reading the translated version.
And also, reading something like The Analects or Zhuang Zi in Classical Chinese...mind-blowing.
4) Living overseas
So I guess this is another step up from travelling, but I definitely would like to be able to live in different countries for at least a year or so, in order to actually get to know the country as a "local" rather than a "tourist" or just someone reading international news at home (we all know how exaggerated these news articles can get!).
5) Career paths
I have always been interested in pursuing a career at either an International Organisation (such as the UN and its divisions such as UNESCO, UNICEF etc), at an Embassy, or as a Language Teacher. And it's quite obvious how knowing more languages would be an advantage for such goals :-)
I guess these are the 5 biggest reasons why I have chosen to dedicate time to learn languages.
---
I hope that this post has inspired you to think about why you would like to or have decided to learn another language and in turn motivate you to keep studying!
Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions :)
Céline xx
In fact, it is said that bilinguals (and thus multilinguals) are smarter in general (check out this article by NYTimes). Talk about motivation to learn new languages!
Apart from this, below are the reasons why I want to become a polyglot (well technically I am a polyglot already, since I am able to use more that two languages...but I feel like I can't really call myself a true polyglot, compared to those who can use 3-5 languages fluently!)
1) Being able understand others
I live in a multicultural environment and so I get exposed to all types of languages on a day-to-day basis. And it's super frustrating not being able to understand them! And as a person who is able to speak Korean, sometimes there are words you just can't express in English...so knowing more languages will hopefully help alleviate this frustration :D
2) Travelling
I love travelling and seeing new places. Ok, so English can help you to an extent...but it can only get you so far. I remember being in a taxi in Beijing and trying to communicate with the taxi driver.. It was so so difficult, especially because he's sitting there looking at the road and driving, and so I couldn't even use facial expressions nor hand gestures.... :| This was exactly the reason why I decided to study Chinese! I also just feel that you get a better experience overall when you know at least a little bit of the language used in any place you visit :)
3) Culture
Just imagine reading Haruki Murakami in Japanese and how awesome it would be. Reading translations are fine, but there are just some nuances and general "feels" that you don't get when you're reading the translated version.
And also, reading something like The Analects or Zhuang Zi in Classical Chinese...mind-blowing.
4) Living overseas
So I guess this is another step up from travelling, but I definitely would like to be able to live in different countries for at least a year or so, in order to actually get to know the country as a "local" rather than a "tourist" or just someone reading international news at home (we all know how exaggerated these news articles can get!).
5) Career paths
I have always been interested in pursuing a career at either an International Organisation (such as the UN and its divisions such as UNESCO, UNICEF etc), at an Embassy, or as a Language Teacher. And it's quite obvious how knowing more languages would be an advantage for such goals :-)
I guess these are the 5 biggest reasons why I have chosen to dedicate time to learn languages.
---
I hope that this post has inspired you to think about why you would like to or have decided to learn another language and in turn motivate you to keep studying!
Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions :)
Céline xx
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