My Late-Life Language Learning, Part 3: Shifting Gears – Acquiring a New Language Gets Serious Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 18, 2013 in Archived Posts
I’ve put myself on display as what the mathematicians call an “existence proof” that an old guy can learn a new language, even when it’s tough. That was Part 1. I’ve owned up to my own personal main motivators, three of them that drove me to start actually doing something about language learning. I mentioned…
Very Superstitious: Concepts of Luck Around the World Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 11, 2013 in Archived Posts
With Friday the 13th right around the corner, we’re feeling quite superstitious! Most (though not all) of us don’t put a lot of stock in superstitions these days. We might knock on wood when discussing something that’s gone well so far, or avoid walking under a ladder, but not because we think these actions will…
7 Ways to Develop Good Habits in Language Learning Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 9, 2013 in Archived Posts
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle We’ve all heard about the importance of good habits, right? We sort of know it’s something we should be developing, working on, perhaps thinking about here and then… But we somehow forget about it, or we promise ourselves…
More Than Funny Business: A Stand-up Comedian’s Perspective on Multilingualism Posted by meaghan on Sep 4, 2013 in Archived Posts
I never thought a cross-dressing stand-up comedian would deliver some of my favorite arguments in support of language learning, but Eddie Izzard did just that in this article: Now picture those ideas coming from this guy (caution: F-bomb warning!): Not exactly the kind of guy you’d turn to for language learning advice, right? Well, it’s not…
Just Ask Alex: August 2013 Edition Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 26, 2013 in Archived Posts
If you’re new here, let us introduce Alex Rawlings, a 21-year-old average guy, who just so happens to have taught himself more languages than we can count on our fingers! Alex believes anyone is capable of such a feat, and provides advice in his blog. We’re taking it one step further: on the last Monday of…
How Long Does it Take to Learn a Language? Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 19, 2013 in Archived Posts
Communication doesn’t have to mean a long and intense discussion. Just knowing how to say “hello” and “thank you” in another person’s language can completely change your relationship with that person. Decades ago, when I was hitchhiking around the world (OK, yes, some buses and ships too), I would exchange handwritten phrase lists with other…
My Late-Life Language Learning Part 2: It All Began Because I Started Losing at Gin Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 14, 2013 in Archived Posts
Self-proclaimed “old, retired guy” Dick Mills is sharing his adventures learning French in this series titled “My Late-Life Language Learning”. In case you missed it, here is Part One. What does it take to motivate someone to take on the challenge of learning a new language? There must be as many answers as there are…