When we learn a language, we make a lot of mistakes. All sorts of mistakes: we use wrong words, we mess up grammar, we can’t pronounce anything correctly. These mistakes are, unfortunately, inevitable. But there are also mistakes that you can and even should avoid – language learning mistakes. … More LEARNING TIP 5.0: REVIEW, REVISE, REVISE, REVIEW
So, it’s this time of the year again – the time to present my Marshallese skills (or lack thereof). I am quite certain you won’t be enormously impressed with my achievements so far, nevertheless I thought it would be nice to share my progress with you. So, here we go. … More MARSHALLESE 20.0: SECOND ATTEMPT AT KAJIN ṂAJEḶ
Two years. I’ve been officially learning Marshallese for two years. Wow. Warrar! Ekōḷōk! That’s a pretty long time, all things considered. I really can’t believe how fast those months flew by and how much and little I have learnt so far. … More MARSHALLESE 19.0: YEAR TWO SUMMARY
Learning a foreign language is fun. Especially if you’re learning it because you really want to (not because your parents told you to, or you think you have to because it may come in handy one day). When you have plenty of time and a burning interest, you can discover a whole new, fascinating world, you wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to know. … More MARSHALLESE 18.0: WARRAR, ŌRRŌR, ŪKŪK
Some people say that pronunciation is the most important part of learning a foreign tongue. I’m not sure if I agree with this 100 per cent, but the fact remains that without having knowledge of the way a particular language sounds, it is virtually impossible to master it. … More LEARNING TIP 4.0: LEARN PRONUNCIATION FIRST
I once read that learning about investing from books is like learning about sex from romance novels. I know nothing about investing, but I can paraphrase this quote and tell you that learning about body language from a textbook is like learning about sex from romance novels – you think you’re prepared, but really you’re not. … More MARSHALLESE 17.0: GESTURES … ON PAPER
When you’re learning a language, sometimes you are going to encounter difficulties. Ok, maybe not sometimes, but often. Or very often. Don’t even try to fight it, because that’s just the way it is. You have to accept it, work harder than you have, and hope that you will – sooner or later – get this damn thing into your head. … More MARSHALLESE 16.0: A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH A FEW WORDS
How often have you started learning a language only to give up soon after? I think we all know what it’s like. You get this brilliant idea “Hey, I will learn …!”, you are excited, you go buy everything you need (and even things you don’t need), you study grammar and memorize fifty new words every single day. But after a while your initial enthusiasm wears off. And you ask yourself: “Why am I doing this in the first place?” … More LEARNING TIP 3.0: TAKE IT SLOW
In a perfect world, the written language equals the spoken language. You see a word and you know, instantly and without thinking, how to pronounce it. You hear a sentence, and you know what it means. You have no doubts, you feel confident, everything is great. Only it isn’t. Because this is not a perfect world. This is real world, in which letters and sounds are two very different things. … More MARSHALLESE 15.0: BECAUSE OF THE OFFSHORE PODCAST
Do you know what makes learning a foreign language easier? Its similarity to the language you already speak. And anticipating your question here – no, Marshallese is nothing like English (or any other tongue I happen to know). But they have something in common. … More MARSHALLESE 14.0: WEEK IS WIIK, PIG IS PIIK
