Today’s post comes to us from Language Wrangler Reader, Corin Wright

Being a naïve seventeen year old I thought it would be possible to go to Denmark and work without being able to speak any or very little Danish. Even though English is an official language in Denmark, my aspirations of working in Denmark almost completely shut down because I knew practically no Danish.

Prior to arriving in Denmark I had studied a Danish CD with tourist phrases on it, and I learned those phrases pretty well. But those 50 phrases would not set me up for life in another country.

Learning Danish From Home With Teach Yourself Complete Danish

I returned to the UK being fluent in two sentences: “jeg taler ikke Dansk” (I don’t speak Danish) and “Jeg forstår ikke” (I don’t understand). But when I returned home my desire and interest in the language itself had not died.

I decided I would purchase Teach Yourself Complete Danish to see how far I could get with this course.

I was partially drawn to this product because of the “From beginner to Level 4” promise on the side of the book (level 4 being equal to B2 in the common framework). Now, I realize many such promises are stereotypical of companies in order to convince you to buy their product, but the Teach Yourself Danish course certainly has many good points and a few bad points which ought to be highlighted.

The Structure

The book has 18 units. Each of which consist of audio content with transcripts, a small section on grammar, and activities to test yourself on.

Grammar

Since grammar seems to be a much disputed part of language learning, I think the way in which the book taught me grammar wasn’t too much for me to handle. As the units went on, the grammatical lessons focused on slightly more advanced “topics” of grammar so I didn’t feel like I was being thrown in the deep end at all.

Each unit’s exercises are also usually related to the grammatical topic covered which for those people who like these sort of exercises is certainly an advantage.

Exercises also do refer back to grammatical points already covered in the book too, which helps you to remember what you’ve already learned.

Vocabulary

The new vocab is laid out very basically with the words on one side and their translations on the other, all though this is probably preferable to having a direct translation as you know exactly which words mean what.

I’d say the course covers a good variety of topics and vocabulary words to help you achieve a solid base for learning Danish.

You won’t be discussing philosophy or politics (even though the last unit touches on that) but all the “must-knows” will be written into your brain just because of the increasing frequency they appear as you work through the units.

Content

For learning material the dialogues can be rather interesting and sometimes even amusing! The whole book tells a story which progresses through the different units and dialogues. Obviously after reviewing the same dialogue multiple times it may start to get a bit tedious, but in comparison to a lot of other language learning resources, it certainly kept me interested.

The book is not quite balanced enough in terms of content. It would make more sense to have additional audio content, since listening is so important.

Audio

Most of the dialogues have an audio track, but there are some passages that provide you with a lot of new vocab and don’t have a corresponding audio track. This can be somewhat unhelpful when trying to establish how certain new vocabulary is supposed to be pronounced and how it sounds when spoken by natives.

The pacing of the speakers in the recordings is fairly decent. They do speed up as the units go on but, they don’t speed up enough. Danish as a language, is generally spoken very fast and I think the program would have be better if the pacing of the speakers were to be spoken at full speed.

The recordings also are only partly the Danish dialogues themselves, there’s a lot of time where nothing is being said at all and a lot of time when English is being spoken. This doesn’t help in terms of mp3 compatibility as one must either edit the dialogues on a computer (which takes a long time) so that only the Danish is being heard or continually rewind and fast-forward to the dialogue itself in order to practice listening which isn’t hugely convenient.

After Completing The Course

What was my ability after I finished the course? Well if we’re talking about a “level” here I was certainly not B2 or level 4, but I wasn’t necessarily expecting to be.

My reading level was certainly far superior to my listening, writing and speaking level. Although, I felt I had a good ear for the language and could basically pronounce everything I could read to an acceptable degree. In terms of price (£29.99), listening content aside I would certainly say it’s value for money.

It’s packed with useful and interesting vocabulary and I think it’s enough to get you off to a good start learning Danish. If I were to give Teach Yourself Complete Danish some sort of rating as beginners material, I’d give Teach Yourself Complete Danish a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Photo by: Stefan KlaasSimilar Posts:

• Looking For The Easiest Language To Learn?
• Free Language Learning – 5 Top Listening Tips
• How to Learn Languages: Listen First!
• What’s The Best Language To Learn?
• The Number 1 Foreign Language Learning Myth

The post Teach Yourself Complete Danish Review appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

A good way to motivate yourself to learn a second language is to understand some of the scientific research about second language acquisition and how it effects the brain.

There is still a decent amount of debate about the critical period to learn a language. Some researchers say that the “critical period” for second language learning may not be cut-off at early puberty while some others continue to say that you have to learn a language very early on to have a native accent.

It’s almost like the debate about whether eating eggs is good for you or not. One researcher will say eggs have too much fat and cholesterol and another might say that eggs are fine! The point of paying attention to research is to at least get a glimpse into what happens in your brain when you are opening yourself up to a new language.

Second Language Learning Beyond Childhood

In the article, “Science Grows on Acquiring New Language” in Education Week, author Sarah D. Sparks highlights the benefits of second language learning. Babies who hear people speak in different languages learn to distinguish sounds from various languages.

Language Learning Capacity Doesn’t Stop At Infancy

The article continues:

“… researchers long thought the window for learning a new language shrinks rapidly after age 7 and closes almost entirely after puberty. Yet interdisciplinary research conducted over the past five years at the University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University, and other colleges suggest that the time frame may be more flexible than first thought and that students who learn additional languages become more adaptable in other types of learning, too.”

The Benefits of Second Language Learning

Bilingual kids are better at tasks that require sorting through different types of objects based on color and shape according to Sparks.

A more recent study by Professor Nina Kraus of Northwestern University demonstrates that bilingual children are better at focusing on discriminating sounds even in noisy environments. Bilingual children are better mental jugglers than children that speak only one language.

Because you have two languages going on in your head, you become very good at determining what is and is not relevant.” says Dr. Nina Kraus.

Second language learning leads you to strengthen other mental abilities. When you find yourself laboring over Chinese characters or the difference between ser and estar in Spanish, remember that you are improving your overall capacity to discern, decipher and filter information.

There is still much to be learned about how our brains process learning a second language, but the bottom line is that there’s no excuse NOT to study one.

Photo by: Nadja von MassowSimilar Posts:

• How to Learn Languages: Listen First!
• What’s The Best Language To Learn?
• Free Language Learning – 5 Top Listening Tips
• Looking For The Easiest Language To Learn?
• Teach Yourself Complete Danish Review

The post Second Language Learning: The Science Behind It appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

We live in a small world, with different cultures interacting almost on daily basis. So it comes as no surprise that more and more people are learning foreign languages to be able to interact with each other.

One of the most popular languages to learn is French. If you are just getting started, you may be asking yourself which are the best ways to learn French? Today, I want to help answer that question.

Online Courses

When it comes to learning another language it is important to pick the right structured learning course. Most language students choose an online course or classroom experience to make sure they are learning the proper syntax and grammar as well as vocabulary.

There are so many online courses and software programs online, that it’s hard to know which is right for you. Just make sure that you take a free trial before spending money on anything. A good course, like Rocket French, will offer a 100% money back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied.

Listening

Another way that you can learn French is through listening. There is so much material available that you can use when it comes to listening to French.

Music by French artists is a great way for to help you get comfortable with French different words and how they are pronounced. Try listening to radio stations that operate in French, you might not understand much at first, but over time your ears will begin to assimilate and recognize different words and phrases.

Reading

Reading is another good way to learn French. Whether you are reading in French or reading about French, the more time you spend looking at and thinking about the words, the quicker you will retain them.

There are many different types of publications that you can read with a dictionary by your side to help you learn through reading. You can also check out French newspapers, magazines, blogs, and comics. French reading resources abound on the Internet.

Speaking

One of the most fun ways to learn French is by getting a friend or language exchange partner. Having conversations with someone that already speaks French fluently will help you to master the pronunciation and accent.

Practice

Practice definitely makes perfect and the best way to get a grasp of a new language is by finding a way to practice a little bit each day. Challenge yourself to try and use the words you have learned, and find ways to include French in your daily life.

These are just few of the many ways to learn French. Ultimately, the best way to learn French is by deciding to never give up!

Photo by: Andy WooSimilar Posts:

• How to Learn French – 10 Different Ways
• Learning French Online Is Easy and Effective
• Best French Language Software
• The Big Secret For Fluent French Language Learning
• Rocket French Review

The post Top 5 Ways to Learn French appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

When I requested to learn Japanese, to fulfill my foreign language credit in high school, my teachers just laughed at me. They said Japanese was too hard to learn, that it would take to long, and offered a different language for me to learn. Since then, I have set out to prove those teachers wrong.

Today I want to explore some common myths and misconceptions about learning Japanese, in the hope of helping anyone else that may be thinking about learning Japanese.

• Myth #1- Japanese Is Impossible for English Speakers to Learn

  Learning Japanese will be harder for some people than others. Each of us learns differently, some learn better through reading, some prefer audio courses, and some of us choose a combination of reading, writing, and audio using interactive online courses. From the English speaker’s perspective, it will be hard because of the grammar differences. However, pronunciation and conjugation, which are normally the hardest things to deal with in a European language, are easy! What makes it harder is the writing, but nothing is impossible.

• Myth #2 – All Japanese Words Sound Like Gibberish

  Japanese is not a bunch of gibberish. Indeed, there are very few sounds, and all of them are very manageable. There is only one final consonant, five vowels, and a small number of consonants. These simple sounds make learning Japanese easier. If you have no mouth defects, you should be able to pronounce all Japanese words sufficiently.

• Myth #3 – Learning Japanese Takes a Lifetime

  Learning a language is a life long commitment. Think about it. Do you really know EVERY English word? That said, if it takes you 10 years to learn Japanese and you’ve been trying hard all that time, you are either being facetious. I heard this one guy that has stayed in Korea for 8 years and sounds just like a native speaker. But, it didn’t take him all those 8 years to get that way. Even without total geographical immersion, it still should not take more than 4 years to become really competent.

• Myth #4 – Learning Japanese From Anime Will Make You a Great Japanese Speaker.

  Some people think that simply listening to Japanese for hours and hours can immerse you in enough of the Japanese language to make you fluent. However, without speaking, writing and reading in Japanese as well, you are just not going to be fully immersed. You may not even be able to catch the words right without having a script in front of you, especially if you are a beginner.

• Myth #5 – Japanese Can Only Be Learned In A Formal Classroom Environment

  Wrong! Just like any language, you can learn it on your own. The internet abounds with great resources like imabijapaneselearningcenter.com and Rocket Japanese Language Software. A classroom is a metaphor for any environment that helps facilitate learning. Your car, home, computer, or ipod can be your classroom!

The Key To Learning Any Language, Including Japanese

If you want to learn Japanese, or any other foreign language, for that matter, they key is consistent practice. Whether you choose to learn Japanese, or another language if you don’t practice writing it, speaking it, listening to it, and comprehending it, you’ll never learn it.

Your Turn

What other myths have you heard about learning Japanese? Leave your comment below.

Photo by: Xesc Arbona
Similar Posts:

• Learning Japanese May Be Easier Than You Think
• 5 Killer Resources for Learning Japanese
• Rocket Japanese Review
• Learn Japanese: The 10 Most Important Aspects

The post 5 Myths About Learning Japanese appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

Listing the best resources for learning Japanese is hard, as there are so many great tools available online today. Each resource listed below will be a great addition to your Japanese learning program.

1. IMABI.net

Our site features tons of comprehensive, free, online lessons covering beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert levels. If there is something that you can’t find there, just ask me and I can find it and include it on the site. We are very language student focused.

2. YouTube

Youtube is great to find music, movies, reports, events. It is the ultimate source for audio. Listening to Japanese music, news, recordings, and real people is really the only way you’ll get better at speaking Japanese.

3. Lang8

Lang8 is a place where you can try to write something in the language you’re studying and natives/fluent people will correct you. I can do this, but I will limit your requests to 1 page. These people have nothing better to do then proofread your stuff.

4. Japanese People

You can’t go wrong with practicing with a native speaker, but unless you already know one, it may be hard to just “find someone” to speak with in your area. That’s where Language Exchange programs come in, there are several great ones to choose from.

5. Wikipedia

Wikipedia is great to read articles in Japanese. Be cautious of Gaijin trying to write articles, but most Japanese learners are too afraid to use their Japanese for all to see. There are also plenty of internet resources I have listed at imabi.net that can be used as supplements as well.

Always Be Cautious Before You Spend Money

Be sure to look for research or reviews before you make any buying decision.

Photo by: MegumiSimilar Posts:

• Learning Japanese May Be Easier Than You Think
• 5 Myths About Learning Japanese
• Learn Japanese: The 10 Most Important Aspects
• Rocket Japanese Review

The post 5 Killer Resources for Learning Japanese appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

I am often asked “What’s the easiest language to learn?” as though the simplicity of the language is the reason to learn it. It doesn’t matter how “easy” or “hard” the language is. If you don’t like the learning process or believe in false myths about language learning, you’ll be doomed and you may never truly acquire the language.

Here are some common misconceptions about foreign language learning that may make you rethink what you consider easy or what you may let yourself believe to be excuses for not learning a language.

Misconception #1

If I just use music and media, I can give up studying grammar and vocabulary and quit my language classes.

If you are still a beginner or intermediary student, you absolutely must keep learning grammar and vocabulary, even if you are studying what you think is “the easiest language to learn”. Grammar and vocabulary are the foundations of any language. Using music, TV, radio and film as additions to your language lessons will only reinforce grammar rules and vocabulary lessons.

For example, a Russian student who is just starting to study English listens to Frank Sinatra’s famous song, New York, New York and learns to sing the song or at least memorize the verses.

In class, the teacher is instructing students on how to form negative contractions like the word “doesn’t”. This type of negative contraction does not exist in Russian and it is much easier for the student to recall how to say this correctly because he has the verse, “I want to wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep” from New York, New York in his head.

Music Makes It Easier

It’s much easier to remember words, grammatical formations, phrases, idioms, irregular verbs, etc when one has heard the language sung and can recall words from songs that bring the language to life. Advanced students who just want to improve their listening comprehension and speaking abilities who have a strong foundation in grammar and vocabulary, may find it appropriate and more fun to stop taking classes and making their target language come alive by focusing on songs, TV shows, the news and other media.

Misconception #2

I am a visual learner, so I won’t be able to learn using music and media

Whether you are a visual or oral learner, all language is based on sounds and music. Even if you have to see something in order to understand it and learn it, you have to hear sounds and words to pronounce them correctly.

Eventually, you will have to use your auditory senses to learn a language. You can use TV and movies to learn languages because visual cues can help us understand what people mean when they are speaking.

Music Makes It Fun

By making your language process fun, you will not even have to worry about whether you’re approaching the “easiest language to learn” or not. The easiest language to learn is the one you believe you’ll enjoy!

Photo by: Pete ProdoehlSimilar Posts:

• How to Learn Languages: Listen First!
• Free Language Learning – 5 Top Listening Tips
• What’s The Best Language To Learn?
• The Number 1 Foreign Language Learning Myth
• Learn a Language and Have Some Fun

The post Looking For The Easiest Language To Learn? appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

Admit it! Learning a foreign language can be hard. The difficulty lies not so much with the intricacies of the language itself but with the difficulty in immersing yourself in it.

This is especially true when you don’t have a good enough grasp of the language to dive right into the culture. Hopefully this article will help you reach your goal of learning French online more easily.

Movies: Turn On Those Subtitles

Watching movies and TV with French subtitles, will help you build familiarity with the language. Sites like Netflix carry French media you can watch, you just have to search in the “foreign” category.

Even though you are getting much of the meaning from the subtitles, you will start to recognize words and absorb and understand with them within relevant contexts. Obviously you still need more structured study from a good course but this will help you tremendously in cementing your knowledge.

Audiobooks: Turn Up The Volume

You can also start learning French online with the help of audiobooks. There are audio versions of public domain books available through Librivox. By listening to the audio, with the aid of the text if necessary, you retain the nuances of the French language. You will notice the differences between how you speak and how you write in French, and become more accustomed to the proper pronunciation.

Language Exchange: Start A Conversation

Even though you can start learning French online by studying many of the grammar and basic vocabulary guides available, you will not go far unless you practice speaking it. Passive media is a great way to start but at some point you should look into finding French speakers you can talk with.

One good site you can use to find native French speakers is LanguageExchange.org, which allows you to connect with native speakers from all over the world and have conversations with them via Skype. Also check out Fiverr.com for people selling their services of helping with learning French online through tutoring or conversation practice.

Learning French Online For Free

It’s never been easier To learn a foreign language. Now there are so many online resources available to help you learn French online. Whereas before you had to study boring textbooks and travel to other countries to attempt to master a foreign language. Now you can now do it all from home, right from your own computer. Click here to try a free trial of Rocket French online courses.

Photo by: Carol LinSimilar Posts:

• How to Learn French – 10 Different Ways
• The Big Secret For Fluent French Language Learning
• Top 5 Ways to Learn French
• Best French Language Software
• Rocket French Review

The post Learning French Online Is Easy and Effective appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

If you are interested in speaking the French language, learning how your mind works when trying to learn a new language, so that you can work with it instead of against it.

Language is simply a code we use to access memory. That may seem like a weird definition, but think about it for a minute! Language is nothing more than a complex phonetic (spoken sounds) code we use to remember, and help others remember, concrete experiences.

You can teach someone the sounds that make up a word, but if they doesn’t know what those sounds relate to, then he or she doesn’t really know the meaning of the word because it isn’t linked to anything real in his or her memory. It doesn’t trigger any inner experience.

Leveraging Your Memory for French Language Learning

With that in mind it becomes obvious that French language learning requires the you to do three things:

1. Create strong memory links between the sounds that make up French words and the experiences they relate to – this is learning vocabulary.
2. Develop the skill, through habit, of how to properly structure French words to convey meaning accurately – this is learning natural grammar as used by native speakers.
3. Learning the peculiarities of how the spoken language is converted into written format – this is an extension of the first step; reading and writing.

The Way Your Memory Works

When you use different senses together in an intense manner, your brain’s nerve cells (the neurons) literally grow a connection between them.

Like Song Stuck In Your Head

Have you ever noticed how listening to a song you really liked, but haven’t heard in a while can instantly transport you back to the time you used to listen to it?

That is because when you were listening to the song, you were literally hard-wiring your brain to access the memory of that period of your life.

Practical Application Time

This principle can be used to help you in your French language learning. As the mind can’t distinguish between your external senses (what you experience in the world) and your internal senses (what you imagine), all it takes is an effort on your part to vividly imagine the things words relate to during study.

Use Your Imagination To Learn Vocabulary

When using flashcards, don’t just speed through them translating the words from French to English. Instead, try to actually experience their meaning in your imagination. With practice your mental pictures will become more vivid.

Of course, you can and should, use visual language learning aids, such as videos, pictures, or even concrete objects.

The more intense and rich your experience, the easier it will be for your mind to link the sounds that make up the word to their meaning.

Learn French Grammar Naturally By Habit

The second step, learning natural sounding grammar, is a skill. Learning French grammar is different from learning vocabulary as it uses the brain in a completely different way. For learning grammar, you need to make practicing a daily habit.

Have you noticed how, if you play Tetris for a long time, your mind starts to play Tetris on its own every time you close your eyes, and maybe even with them open? That is the way you want to learn French grammar, by using the language (correctly) as often as you can.

Dig Up and Watch Those Foreign Films

This is why movies in French can be a great aid (they also help cement vocabulary!) and why you should seek native speakers to talk to as soon as you have a minimal enough knowledge of French to be able to have a basic conversation.

French language learning does not need to be tedious or difficult. The reading and writing aspect can be learned through books, audiobooks, online French courses, and even by watching French movies with subtitles (so you can read and hear dialogue at the same time).

What Has Helped You?

What have you tried, that helped you learn and retain the most vocabulary and grammar? Please share your experience in the comment section below.

Photo by: StetsonHayesSimilar Posts:

• Top 5 Ways to Learn French
• How to Learn French – 10 Different Ways
• Learning French Online Is Easy and Effective
• Best French Language Software
• Rocket French Review

The post The Big Secret For Fluent French Language Learning appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

French is a language that is spoken all over the world. It is an official language in about 29 countries. French ranks second among the world’s most frequently taught languages, after English. You might therefore want to know how to learn French.

As with learning any language, learning French takes time, patience and energy. Learning new material and then practicing it are the keys to reaching fluency. However, learning French and practicing it doesn’t have to be a drag. There are lots of fun ways to incorporate both learning and practicing your French.

How To Learn French

1. If you have a computer, or spend a lot of time on computer, consider buying a learning program, like Rocket French.
2. Use free online podcast lessons, available all over the internet.
3. Log in to online translator websites, such as Bonjour, where you type random phrases to get their meaning. However, these kinds of translators can sometimes be wrong, so double check by using your dictionary.
4. Taking a French class is the other way of learning the language. Check your local community centers, colleges, craigslist, and meetup groups.

How To Practice French

In order to absorb this language as quickly as possible, try to have conversations in French and practice what you have learned wherever and whenever you can.

1. You can practice with a French speaking student from your local college.
2. Find a pen pal over the internet to practice with.
3. Subscribe to a French magazine or newsletter and see how you will learn pretty fast as you continue reading French. Whenever you find a word you don’t know, look them up.
4. Teach the new French words you have learned to your non-French speaking friends, as a way of practicing.
5. Watching French movies or listening to French music is also a good way of learning French. This will help improve your listening skills as well as help you improve your accent. As a beginner, you should go for the French movies with English subtitles.
6. Alliance Française, a non profit organization that is devoted to promoting the French language throughout the world. By joining, you are guaranteed to get all the help you need to learn French, by mingling with other French speakers.

See, now you know how to learn and practice French! If you can spend 30 minutes a day practicing the French you have learned, you will be well on your way to fluency.

Photo by: Openroads.comSimilar Posts:

• Top 5 Ways to Learn French
• Learning French Online Is Easy and Effective
• Rocket French Review
• The Big Secret For Fluent French Language Learning
• Best French Language Software

The post How to Learn French – 10 Different Ways appeared first on LanguageWrangler.

Many times I’ve heard people give the excuse that they are not “good” in foreign languages because they don’t have an “ear” for languages.

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Let me give you some examples of two half-deaf people and one legally deaf woman who prove this false notion about foreign language learning to be WRONG.

Legally Deaf Since Birth

Katrin, a deaf German friend of mine, learned to speak English because she listened to music. (She can speak and read lips but has very limited hearing.) Even those students who had better hearing than she did in her deaf school in Germany did not learn to speak and pronounce English as well as she did because they did not have any musical training or exposure to music.

Despite her hearing impairment, she played the flute as a child and listened to music. Feeling the sound vibrations impacted Katrin’s ability to sense the rhythm of music and language. The combination of the little that she could hear combined with the vibrations that she could feel from music enabled her to develop good speaking patterns in both German and English.

Watch the video below to see how a deaf German lady learned English via music and how you don’t have to have musical talent to learn a foreign language.


Note: In order to see this video with English or German subtitles, you have to press the CC button in the lower right side of the You Tube box and select English or German subtitles.

Deaf In One Ear

Another friend who is deaf in one ear is in China improving his Chinese. Now Chinese is tough for someone who is partially deaf because it’s a tonal language and you have to pay extra attention to the sound of the language. But he’s doing it.

Partially Deaf

My own mother is partially deaf and speaks English as her second language with an accent that’s not any stronger than that of a typical Russian. As a matter of fact, I know Russians who can hear with both ears, who have a stronger accent in English than she does.

It’s Not About Your Ears

Don’t let your hearing issues keep you away from appreciating and listening to music. You don’t need to have perfect pitch to follow these instructions. I am not a gifted musician and I tend to sing out of key more often than I like.

Humans Are Musical Beings

When we are born, we don’t start speaking automatically. We listen before we speak. When learning languages, we should follow this same pattern and listen to the music of the language before opening our mouths to pronounce words.

Start Listening Today

One ear, two ear or barely functioning ears, it’s not about your ears. Foreign language learning is
about your brain and your intention!

Photo by: MarthaSimilar Posts:

• How to Learn Languages: Listen First!
• Free Language Learning – 5 Top Listening Tips
• Looking For The Easiest Language To Learn?
• What’s The Best Language To Learn?
• Second Language Learning: The Science Behind It

The post The Number 1 Foreign Language Learning Myth appeared first on LanguageWrangler.