8 reasons to use YouTube to learn a language
As most of you probably know, I've been using YouTube in my effort to learn Polish for over three years now.
YouTube is a massive service, with "hundreds of millions of users from around the world." According to their FAQ, "48 hours of video are uploaded every minute, resulting in nearly 8 years of content uploaded every day."
Using YouTube has led to many very positive things in my life and, in my opinion, has also significantly improved my language abilities.
I strongly encourage YOU to try using YouTube in your language learning!
Read more to find out why!
The Importance of Listening
I receive many questions from people looking for advice on how to use the method I used to learn Polish in their own language studies.
The main misconception is that reading (with your eyes) is enough. This is partly my fault, since I think of listening to a book or text to still be "reading," so I've used that word to describe both activities.
But listening is not just as important as reading - listening is even more important!
If possible (especially when beginning to learn a language) you should spend significantly more time listening than reading.
Read more to find out why!
Mail: Stereotypy o Polakach
To jest pierwszy artykuł z serii, który jest bezpośrednio wzięty z ogromnej ilości maili, które dostaję na temat nauki języków, Stanów i Polski.
Kilka dni temu dostałem ten mail:
Witam David.
Chciałbym zadać ci jedno pytanie odnośnie stereotypów o Polakach. Nie wiem czy już o tym mówiłeś w swoich filmach(nie widzałem ich wszystkich bo jest ich całkiem sporo) więc jeśli już o tym mówiłeś to przepraszam. Więc...
Tutaj w Polsce często słyszę, że Amerykanie, Niemcy, Brytyjczycy śmieją sie z nas, że kradnimy, że pijemy i wiele innych obraźliwych opini.
Wiem, że kochasz Polske i wiem, że masz o nas dobrą opinie ale czy słyszałeś żeby inni Amerykanie mówili tak o nas? Jestem bardzo ciekaw czy jest to prawda, że mamy tak złą opinie za granicą. Z niecierpliwościa czekam na odpowiedź. Pozdrawiam.
Czytaj dalej, żeby poznać moją odpowiedź!
My language goals for 2012
I know a lot of people think New Year's Resolutions are stupid. Personally I've always liked them and I try to make some every year. Unfortunately, I can't remember the resolutions I made for 2011. :-/
But that old, tired year will be behind us soon. It's time to start thinking about the wonderful New Year!
While I have a number of New Year's Resolutions - including to start flossing my teeth more often :-) - the main topic of this blog is language, so I'm only going to talk about my language learning goals.
Read more to see my language goals for next year!
Vlog: Kongres Polonii Amerykańskiej
Tydzień temu spotkałem się z prezesem Kongresu Polonii Amerykańskiej w Wisconsin na kawę. W tym filmiku mówię o tym, czego się nauczyłem o tej organizacji!
Proszę podaj mi poprawki w serwisie Lang-8 tutaj.
Linki do więcej informacji:
Czytaj transkrypcję poniżej!
GoEnglishGo.com: Virtual English school
Real world English schools are great. You enter a new environment where the primary language is English. It's easy to forget that you're still in your native country. And you get to make new friends who also share your passion and interest in English.
But traveling to an English class is also very inconvenient. Depending on where you live and work, it probably takes considerable time to get there. And when you leave, the English lesson ends. You might have a homework assignment, but outside the magic of the classroom, it's less compelling.
With a virtual school, you lose the effect of the environment and much of the social interaction. But you are able to study at any time of the day or night. And you don't have to lose any time traveling there!
This article is about an online language school, GoEnglishGo.com, which is run by an American from Texas, who now lives in Kraków, Poland.
(Full disclosure: while the founder of this school is a personal friend of mine, I'm not receiving any monetary benefits or commissions for writing this review.)
Read more the full review!
Unique American Religions
A few interesting religions began in the United States, including Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Amish religion did not originate in the United States, but this interesting cultural group is now only found in the U.S. (and a bit of Canada).
Though these three religions are very different, they are all based in the U.S., so I’ve received many questions about them from LinguaTrek readers. All three of these religions are based in Christianity.
Read more to learn about these interesting religious groups!
How to learn two languages at once
Can I learn two languages at once? Or should I only learn one at a time?
I see these questions often.
Many people have successfully learned more than one language at a time. But many, many more have failed.
Personally, I have experience both succeeding and failing!
Please read more for my advice!
Vlog: Nasze mieszkanie w USA
Dzisiaj razem z żoną pokazujemy nasze mieszkanie!
Przepraszam, że to zrobiliśmy tak w pośpiechu ale moja żona tylko miała 5 minut żeby mi pomóc z tym, musiała od razu wyjechać na spotkanie. I z tego powodu zrobiłem strasznie dużo błędów. :-) Ale wreszcie możecie widzieć nasze mieszkanie!
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Translating or native dictionaries?
Which is better? A dictionary which translates into your native language or a dictionary which gives the definition in the native language itself?
This is an often discussed and frequently controversial topic. Both students and teachers have strong opinions on both sides of the issue. But I suspect it comes to more to personal preference than anything else.
In this article I'll tell you which I prefer and why, then open it up to your comments. Which do you prefer?
Read more to join the discussion!
English
Polski
