Will Your Decision to Go Couples’ Dancing Kill Someone’s Grandma? Considerations for Dancers Facing Covid-19 and Links to the Science
We’re all passionate about dance and aching to get back on the dance floor. It’s just not the same, dancing in front of a mirror, or a webcam, as twirling with a salsa partner. As governments around the world start to lessen (then increase, then equivocate about, etc.) their restrictions, some of us have the …
The Kindle as a Powerhouse for Language Learning: Hacks and Review
Look up foreign-language words without blocking your reading flow, then export and learn your vocabulary list to make them yours. Over the years I’ve been using a Kindle to learn languages, I’ve very gradually uncovered hacks and tools for efficient vocabulary building. But this article will throw them all at you, right here, in one …
Make Sweet Ljubav in Serbian: Slang for Love Piles, Sex, Consent, and Gossiping About it All
The Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian language skills that you learn in lessons and grammar books are decidedly not the most useful. These often overlook the key body parts, as well as the things you should exclaim when they smash. Plus the lack ways to express affections, dirty and sweet, for your south-Slav love muffins. Hence …
How to Search Multiple Definitions and Translations in a Single Click — for Language Learning and Translating
One of the annoying, charming things about language is that definitions are squishy; there’s no one perfect definition. Each speaker of the language will have a slightly different idea of what “bread” tastes and looks like, for instance, or about whether a “soirée” is classier or tackier or more passé than a “party”. This is …
My “Fluent Forever” Results: Review and Key Takeaways for Language Learning
I’ve been constantly learning, teaching, and maintaining various languages over the last two decades and so was certainly aware of Gabriel Wyner’s Fluent Forever as a website, book, and now, app. I’m a long-time avid language learner, but there were still plenty of new hacks for me to experiment with in Fluent Forever. In fact, …
Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian Possessive Adjectives from Nouns: How People Own Stuff in these Languages
Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian have a way of showing who belongs to what that corresponds to apostrophe+S in English. It is called the derived possessive adjective. Milan’s rule — Milanovo praviloMarija’s pool — Marijin bazen As you can see the endings are not quite as uniform as the English version, but as Serbian language things …
What Scientists Know About Learning Languages that You Probably Don’t
I’ve compiled dozens of strategies from scientific studies on language learning from multiple resources over the years, and I may as well make them public for you here, dear language voyagers. This includes hacks for learning more quickly and efficiently, as well as for retaining what you learn over the long term. As we’ll see, …
Minimalist Packing List: How to Travel the Globe for Decades with Only a Carry-On
After years of wandering from country to country with just a carry-on, I’ve learned to minimize. That’s not surprising; travelling light becomes an art for any experienced traveller. Each time I go, the load gets a little lighter as I realize what I don’t actually need. So what I’m left with for this list is …
The Best & Cheapest Ways to Travel Between Paris and Barcelona: Train, Bus, and — If You Must — Plane
I’ve long lived in the lovely, romantic French capital Paris and the lively, sexy Catalan capital Barcelona — these are absolutely my favorite two cities in the world. But how to travel between them? There are lots of websites that promise to sell you tickets between the two cities. A lot of them are terrible, …
Important Phrases for Boinking Your Lover(s) in Mexican Spanish
Mexican Spanish is unique, and this is especially true when you’re making love — you’re likely to hear phrases that differ those heard in your love piles in other Spanish-speaking countries. As in many cultures, sex is considered a bit “naughty” in Mexico, but with consternation and intrigue comes linguistic creativity. There’s a rich range …