Archive by Author
Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance Posted by Malachi Rempen on Dec 5, 2016 in Archived Posts
Nobody’s perfect, but some of us are less not-perfect than others. That’s why it’s best to stay prepared when it comes to language learning – for whatever situation you might have to deal with. I had a boss once that I didn’t care much for. I know, I know, it’s unusual – generally speaking, all…
Language Learning Through Songs Posted by Malachi Rempen on Nov 28, 2016 in Archived Posts
Listening to music sung in a foreign language is a great way to learn that language. Provided you really understand what they’re saying, that is… Unfortunately for us language learners, there are a lot of things that words simply can’t express. Cultural particularities are often among those things – culture is nebulous, it’s not concrete, and that makes…
Looks Aren’t Everything in Language Learning Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 31, 2016 in Archived Posts
When visiting or living in a foreign country and speaking a foreign language, if you don’t look like a local, fluency can have its downsides. It can also have some great upsides. My brother lives in Bangkok, Thailand. He contributes to Itchy Feet by writing comics on an expat’s Asian perspective – he’s lived in…
Language “Tourists” vs Language “Travelers” Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 24, 2016 in Archived Posts
When traveling, you try to stay off the beaten path. When language learning, you try to find it. Or do you? I love travel, and I love learning languages. Luckily the two are quite intertwined, so I often get to indulge in one while working on the other. But there’s one key way in which travel…
Does English Have Tones? Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 19, 2016 in Archived Posts
In tonal languages like Thai, Vietnamese and Mandarin, a different tone can often completely change a word. But don’t we also have tones in English? Now, full disclosure: I do not speak a tonal language. This must have been immediately apparent to my readers, who pointed out that intonation in English or other western languages is not exactly…
Picking Your Language Learning Battles Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 10, 2016 in Archived Posts
You can’t do everything all at once, even if you’d like to. Better to choose one route and stick to it. This particular comic has a special place in my heart, because it inflamed the passions of people on both sides of this situation. I had commenters saying, “Yeah! This comic is so true. Tourists get…
Translating American English Slang Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 3, 2016 in Archived Posts
English learners – ever been to the USA and felt totally lost in a conversation, despite your English being pretty good? Never fear, slang translation is here. It’s possible that “how was your trip to California” is more accurate than “the United States” – I got a lot of comments from readers who had no idea…