Which languages are they talking to each other?
Very funny stuff – enjoy!
Saying nothing and boring others – Learning Tunisian Arabic 2
To be open right at the beginning: my language helper is getting bored with me. The beginning is so difficult. The method says I should not talk but only listen in the beginning. That means that he talks a lot more. Then, quite often, I don’t get it, as so many words are new and…
What is culture? What are stereotypes? Which shock? – Culture Shock 1
We landed in Africa and everything, but really everything was different. We had expected some, but so many differences. Uncomfortable border officials who wanted an address which we didn’t have. An incredible number of control: luggage, passports, with body scanning and all alike. Within a short time we were totally intimidated. After a few weeks…
Are you authorized asks the Gendarme – Living in Aix 1
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] We haven’t been in Aix-en-Provence for two weeks yet when Mike wants to take some photos of our house to show them on the home page later. So he takes the elevator from the 8th floor down to ground floor and ambles across the square, half of which is a parking lot, the other…
PhD research on the language – Learning Spanish 9
PhD, the highest level of education, is not typically focused on language learning, but on something else. The language is the base. The thesis is something new on grammar, literature or whatever. In my case, it was grammar. The language itself is only a means to an end. You need it as the foundation of…
Only a small step into desaster
As a German I have to link to this very famous and funny youtube video on language learning: Enjoy!
A new adventure – Setting up the class for Learning Tunisian Arabic 1
A friend helped me to find a guy and then on a Monday we started learning Tunisian Arabic. I have spent a few months learning Algerian Arabic and a few weeks on Modern Standard Arabic, and I’ve studied a bit of Arabic grammar with several books. But this time it’s meant to be long-term and…
How to keep a high level – Learning Spanish 8
How could I keep this high level I had achieved after having coming back from Spain? Well, the answer is easy: I couldn’t! To hold your level, there are many necessary things: talk regularly to mother tongue speakers continue learning new stuff even though you may think you know “enough” stay inside the culture of…
How many are there? Language chaos – Living in Algeria 6
In Algeria, as in all Arabic countries, there is Standard Arabic, which is the official national language. In addition, there are many other dialects spoken, dialects of Arabic and also several Berber languages. In Algeria there must be around 15 minority groups of Berbers, but no one knows exactly how many. About 30 people live…
When language classes are no good – Learning Spanish 7
Why on earth do you still need to attend language courses once you have been in the country for more than a year? Well, I had to. Even though I had just came back from Spain, having been there for the third time for a total of over nine months, I had to go back…