Foreign Languages - Tumblr Posts
Could any Americans explain to me what the difference is between Papa and Daddy? It doesn't make much difference to me because both forms have the same translation, but maybe it has some cultural meaning that I didn't understand…
Lil art dump:
my Latin work but i was proud and wanted to share :)
(spent 5 hours on a supposed-to-be-30mins piece :D)
He knew three foreign languages.
His first language, family language was Polish, of course.
Fun fact about Witold Pilecki from a documentary:
Being bilingual is fun because you get to short circuit in two languages instead of one!
Aside from regular brain malfunctions, you can learn a concept for the first time in your second language so your brain will automatically default to that language instead when talking about it, you can substitute native conjuctions in favor of the second language's and slash all meaning from your sentences for an interlocutor, AND you can feel like you're getting worse at BOTH languages every time you open your mouth to verbalize!
I've also spoken in some amalgamation of different English accents and phrases from all over the world since elementary school. It has gotten me many a weird look.
I forget common words, use words nobody around me knows, and all in all I just come off very incongruent.
my logic: do not start another duolingo course. you already have 10 of them going you only have 32 XP in arabic you should focus on one you already have progress on instead of starting a new one please please plea
me already loading up the vietnamese course: không :D
GUYYSS LOOK WHAT I LEARNED.
Chào! Tôi là Sasha. Tôi là người Mỹ.
YIPPEEEEEE
my logic: do not start another duolingo course. you already have 10 of them going you only have 32 XP in arabic you should focus on one you already have progress on instead of starting a new one please please plea
me already loading up the vietnamese course: không :D
not to be mega loser 3000 over here but the gose comeback special is so good for korean practice! i'm guessing bc it's in the style of a drama they're using simpler language but like when dino and seungkwan said "봤잖아 나 어때?" "정말로 진심을 원해?" "조용히 해" like that's a fairly easy interaction to follow w/o subs!! Yippeee
i love seventeen's pet names bc cheols dog is kkuma which means bear in Japanese and wonwoos dog is seol so her full name is jeon seol which also means legend in korean and then seungkwans dog is bookkeu which means shy in korean but also has boo in the name bc boo seungkwan and dks dog is named uju which means universe and mingyus dog is named aji which im p sure is short for gangaji which means puppy in korean and and and
Hey do u wanna hear something Awesome. So the hangul (korean alphabet) equivalent of 'g' looks like this -> ㄱ and the cyrillic (russian, ukranian, etc. alphabet) equivalent looks like this -> г
ISNT THAT SO FUN. THEY ARE LIKE THE SAME THING BUT BACKWARDS
Greek, English and German.
Learning Spanish and kinda Norwegian.
Reblog if you can speak, read, or at least kinda communicate in more than one language.
Russian, English and German.
Learning Bulgarian and Ukrainian
The right mindset for an exchange year abroad
There's no singular correct mindset or way of thinking when it comes to planning and preparing for a year abroad. However, there are some aspects that can make life a little easier so here's what you should consider doing.
Accepting being an obvious foreigner If you're doing a year in a country such as China, then be prepared to be the odd person. Yes, chances are you will get stared at. You may hear "waiguoren"!, especially if you got travelling outside of the more international areas. Yes, you will sometimes feel like an outsider, like you'll never fully integrate. And that's ok. A reality that I had to accept is that whilst I may be welcome to stay here, I will remain an obvious visitor here.
Trying new things An obvious one, but don't just stay in your dorm watching tv-shows all the time. Get out and explore the city. Even if you decide to talk a stroll in the local park, that also counts. Obviously there wil be days when you need to recharge and spend some time by yourself, but going out and leaving your bubble can be the greatest kindness that you show yourself.
Break out of your shell Similar to point #2, but this one can be tricky. Trying new things e.g. trying a new dish at your school canteen vs going to a local restaurant by yourself are a tad different. This one takes time, and even the most outgoing person can struggle with this in a foreign place. Baby steps are the way to go here. If you feel anxious about going to the restaurant, try a cafe in a student/university area first. You can order your drink and if you feel comfortable enough, you can find a spot there and do some reading/studying. In time, you'll feel confident enough to try other places that you may have previously found intimidating. Breaking out of your shell takes time, so don't push yourself too much.
The local customs will endure long after you have left My professors back at my home uni always said "the local way trumps your way", and they were proven right time after time. Certain things are done a certain way, and whether you like it or not they will continue. The best thing to do, is to research in advance and try to adapt to them. Who knows, maybe in time they'll grow on you (aka me almost forgetting how to use a fork after using chopsticks for so long).
It's usually curiosity, not malice Sometimes you will get stared at, or you may be asked odd questions that in your culture would seem bizzare or perhaps a tad offensive e.g. how much do you/your parents earn? are you married? do you have children? Usually it's asked out of curiosity, rather than to cause offense or malice so try to keep that in mind.
Overcome the feeling of temporariness This is an odd one, but the fact that I'm here in China only for a while sometimes gets to me. Like why bother decorating my dorm room if I'll leave in the end? Why buy an extra blanket if I'll have to donate it if it doesn't fit into my suitcase? Forget this mentality. Yes, you're here for only a year, or maybe even half a year. But. This doesn't mean that you should neglect yourself and your living space. If its affordable and if it'll make your life much more easier and comfortable, then get that thing! If you don't have space in your suitcase, then either ship it back home, sell it, give it to a friend or donate it.
Don't forget about your life back home Keep in touch with your friends and family. You don't necessarily need to call them everyday, but do sent a message every once in a while. A simple "good morning!" text can be enough to reassure your parent(s) that everything's ok. Make sure to keep in touch with your home uni academic advisors, and to make sure that you're meeting all the necessary requirements. Mark the application deadline for those summer internships in your calendar, and don't forget to send your auntie that happy birthday message. You have your current life, but please don't neglect your relationships with your loved ones back at home.
What textbooks do you use for learning Chinese?
I noticed that my current textbooks at my exchange uni in China are noticeably different from the textbook used back at my home uni, and now I'm interested in knowing whether the content varies drastically overall.
I'm curious to see what are some of the other textbooks that used for learning Chinese and how effective you would consider them to be, so please feel free to share your thoughts!
The V for Ü trick
I only recently discovered that you can type in v to get the letter ü when typing in the pinyin for chinese characters.
Italian books be throwing shade.... 😂
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There was a long break between the time I wrote the first entry and this one. So I decided that after this opinion piece about writing in a foreign language I will probably in the near future publish a longer and more personal entry that I wrote in order to “catch up” on my mental health :)
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❀ Pansy n°2 = I love English.
It is true, I do love the English language.
In fact, today I am in my first year of college and I follow a course in English Literature and Civilisations. So basically I am studying this language in depth. It feels great as, when I started this journal, it was the only thing I was wishing for but it is a lot harder than I thought…
Anyway, it is definitely not what I want to write about.
What I want to speak of, to let my mind wander to, is how I find it easier to express myself, my thoughts, my mindset, my feelings in English rather than in my mother tongue. I find it so strange yet fascinating and a bit logical. Actually, I have been told (or I have read somewhere but can’t remember where) it is a fact that bilingual people describe their emotions and communicate in their learned language with more ease. I find it quite logical as we have learned precise words and ways to express peculiar and specific events, feelings,... We have a whole new and fresh vocabulary imprinted in our minds so it feels like we have more words to clearly express something. Moreover, it creates more distance between us and the problems or feelings we’re facing.
I personally relate to this a lot.
I think it might be enhanced by the fact that I read more in English as well. So in a way, my literary vocabulary is more extended in English. I consume a lot of English entertainment. Songs, books, movies, series, fanfictions…
My mind even works in English. I think, speak and dream in English. Weirdly, it just comes naturally.
When I write or read in my mother tongue things just feel cringe and wrong, like there’s always a better way to say those things. Sometimes I think of sayings and expressions in English which are perfect for what I am trying to say but, it has to be in my mother tongue and it either doesn’t have an equivalent or even if it has, I feel like it loses a bit of its meaning. It is truly complicated, especially when I talk with people and only English vocabulary comes to my mind. Moreover, as an aspiring writer and translator, I cannot and do not want to lose connection with my mother tongue. I have to practice it and feel more comfortable with it. And when I successfully write in my native language, I cannot express how proud I feel. It just is awesome to see that I am capable of writing beautiful and meaningful things in this language that I feel so uneasy with.
Yet, I feel that sometimes it is an enormous struggle to communicate with others when I can’t speak with them with some english words and expressions. Like I said, more than often I have english words which come to my mind and it is hard to find how to say it in my native language. The worst is, when I struggle and people tell me to just say as I think, they end up mocking me and saying things like “Oh excuse me ! Madame only speaks English !” It makes me feel awful as people clearly think I am trying to expose my good english. Like I am pompous, conceited, arrogant… And it is very much what I don’t want people to think of me. Even though I am, in fact, proud of the quality of my English - written and spoken - I don’t want people to see me as someone who thinks too highly of herself.
ANYWAY. I enjoy writing in english. I enjoy speaking in english. And I will not stop practicing this language.
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🔺Original work, please do not steal or copy. Thanks.🔺
- notify me if there are typos ;)