Every language has something called false friends. These are words that look like an English word you already know but are often not even close. When I first got to Poland I saw signs for ’stomatolog” I saw some references to a medical office under these signs. So I thought this was a doctor to […]
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What is the origin of the word Slav? The Slavs or Slavic people are obviously most of the people of Eastern Europe, the Poles, Czechs, Slovakians, Ukrainians, Russians, and Serbians etc. Their languages and cultures are very similar.
The word ‘Slav’ or ‘Slowianin’ comes from the Slavic term for word; ‘Slowo’. ‘Slowo’ means ‘word’ (słowo in Polish letters but pronounced […]
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Salut is the French word for hi. It is used to greet someone with respect and good will. It is an informal or familiar expression but has formal origins in Latin ( salūtāre, from salūs, salūt) meaning health or a wishing of health. Similarly in English we have salutations and salute.
Salut can be used for […]
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Children and language learning
To learn a language is to learn a set of all-purpose rules that can be used in an infinite number of ways. A new study shows that by the age of seven months, human infants are on the lookout for abstract rules – and that they know the best place to look […]
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Tags: children and language learning, how children learn a language
Babies and languages
Babies use their own names to help learn language. from psychological science- A baby’s understanding of language may begin with its own name, which a baby uses to break sentences into smaller parts so it can learn other words, according to new research by Texas A&M University psychologist Heather Bortfeld, who studies language […]
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Tags: babies and langauges
Speaking your target language to a non native speaker
I found that is easier to speak to non native speakers than to native speakers in your target language. I think non native speakers are more tuned in and speak slower and ussually with your accent.
My friend Eric is amazing Polish speaker, almost fully self taught. […]
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Tags: speak a language, Speaking your target language to a non native speaker
I do not believe this fully, as everyone has a gift for learning languages. I have taught 1000s of students over the years from all ages and everyone can learn a language. However, this study looks at finger relative finger length as one indication of language ability. ” Recent research suggests finger length is an index of […]
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Dictation as a method of language learning
A language learning technique that you can do alone or in a class is called dictation. You listen to an audio file or a native speaker and write down in a notebook what you hear. Listen to it at a slow rate and repeat it as often as […]
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Tags: How to learn a language
metaphors and language learning
Metaphors are barbells for the mind. A seemly simple sentence uses language, imagination in both an abstract and concrete sense. Using metaphors in language learning is a simple technique that brings more of what you already knows online.
Memory problems are more often than not a recall rather than a storage […]
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Tags: How to learn a language, learning with metaphors, metaphors and language
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