Language Learning

The other day, while avoiding jobs on my to-do list, I was flicking through Duolingo. It's a language learning app that I've written about before. I use it to practise German, Spanish and Turkish every day.

They're always updating it and I added some more languages to my list. I dabbled with Swedish before our Stockholm trip in March. It's great for picking up the basics quickly before a trip.

I repicked up Russian. I first took a Russian course at my last school six years ago and was suprised how quickly I could get back into it, though the keyboard may eventually present a problem.

Finally I had a little go with Esperanto. This is an artificial language created as a simplified language for all. It was different and interesting having things in common with other languages but at the same time, using them differently.

Have a go here!

Spanish learning tools

This week I started tutoring and it really made me realise how easy it is to let knowledge go.  I practise Spanish every day both at work and at home but my level is sorely lacking and I'm going to be working on that a lot over the next weeks.

I think I shared a post similar to this earlier in the year but my experience shows it doesn't hurt to have another look.

This is a site I use for all my languages every day - it's best for beginners though.  I need to stretch myself more in Spanish and German.

For reading, it's always great to look at current news articles as the context is usually already there and it normally involves new vocabulary in some way.

This school site has activities for all levels.  I can use some with classes and do the higher ones myself.

Here are some great videos, also at different levels that are great for honing those listening skills.  I already passed this tip on to my tutee.

The good old beeb also has a wide range of activities plus access to Spanish radio channels.

And of course, if you have the money, the good old fashioned book or film can be found here.  Here are some of my favourites:

Books:
Como agua para chocolate
El mar adentro
Diarios de motocicleta
La sombra del viento

Films:
Volver
El mar adentro
El laberinto del fauno
Diarios de motocicleta

Competition time

Today I took six of my Spanish group to the Bremen languages competition.

They were really nervous but they did me proud. There were better and worse groups but despite some technical difficulties, mine represented their groups and the school well.

We were really impressed with the entertainment from the school and with the competition.

All groups received prizes and certificates, which was nice. There were lots of exciting prizes so we've agreed to go back with an English entry next year!

I think both the pupils and I am more prepared for the next time and it's so important to do these 'extra' things for languages.

Competition Time

This week at work has mainly been spent helping my Spanish pupils prepare their competition entries for the regional rounds of the team language competition.

I've got two groups entering and although it hasn't been smooth sailing and there are still problems, I am really proud of both groups.

The boys did a video giving the school's history in Spanish (this year is the school's centenary) and the girls did a drawing video with a story about refugees in Spanish.

On my side I learned that I need to start much earlier in the school year with this project and I need to brush up my IT skills.

Nevertheless, we have achieved one of our department goals of taking part in more events and competitions.

European Day of Languages

Tomorrow is the European Day of Languages. As it's a Saturday, I've been doing quizes and lessons on it all week and we're having a whole school competition next week.

We haven't celebrated it in school before but it's important to get the kids to recognise the importance of languages and learn a bit more about them in a fun context.

This week I learned:

• there are around six thousand living languages,
• a third of them are African,
• some sign language,
• Japanese is written from top to bottom,
• the palindrome 'was it Eliot's toilet I saw?'.

I'm hoping to make it an annual event in school.

Languages Link

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As regular readers will know, I am a languages teacher and having studied English, German, Spanish, French, Catalan and Russian at different times in my life as well as teaching languages, I am always on the lookout for new resources.

I mentioned duolingo a while ago and I still use this free site regularly to keep up with my Spanish and German. However, they are not yet offering Turkish. I've been keen to learn Turkish for a while as we have many pupils from Turkish backgrounds, and it is one of my 2014 goals.

Recently a colleague recommended babbel. The only downside is that the site is not free - it costs around five euros a month depending on which payment package you opt for. However, I have been using the site (and the app) for around a month now and am making much better progress than with a course book. I find the interactive method and review options so much more useful.

They also offer a wide range of languages so it's worth a look even if your linguistic interests lie elsewhere.

The Great Language Game

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 Have you tried the great language game?  

 Warning!  It is strangely addictive!

On a languages note - I am still going strong on this website - a little a day - and recommending it to my students. 

Dixit

Saturday saw the first of what I hope will be many games nights in our flat with Ed and Loreto.  We played Dixit.  Loreto has been telling me about this game for a while as she has been using it with some of her course friends to improve their German.

The point of the game is to use a word or phrase to describe what one of your picture cards makes you think of.  All players place down a card which could represent this word or phrase and they must then vote on which they think was the original card.  You play until all the cards are gone.  

It was great fun, we played in English and German and we all really enjoyed it.  The picture cards are especially lovely.  In fact, we enjoyed it so much, we are considering buying it ourselves.

Accents

One of the first things I noticed more than ever, even the first time I came to Germany, was my accent.  Although I like to think I 'speak properly', it's actually hard to define what 'properly' is when there is a different accent just about everywhere you go in England, and even more in the 'English speaking world'.  One of the first things the teachers told their pupils when I worked as I language assistant was "Don't say your 'u's like Miss Shires", when I read them a story that included the word bus.  No matter how neutral I try to make my accent, that's the one thing I can't hide.  

I was a little surprised yesterday, however, when I met the teacher whose course I will be taking over in Autumn and he guessed that I was from Newcastle!  I have nothing against Geordies, I love Newcastle, the people and the accent too actually, but there is no comparing the Geordie and Yorkshire accents...or so I thought.  It seemed a little poigniant this week given the news item that Cheryl Cole has been axed from the US X-Factor because of her accent.  Surely they could use subtitles like they usually do when Brits appear in their programmes.

It's something that is different wherever you go.  Here in Germany I have always been rather safe.  With the exception of East Germany (Dresden) and South Germany (Munich), I have had no problems understanding the prevelant 'Hoch Deutsch' or high German.  My biggest issue this year has been picking up information in Plattdeutsch which is a whole other dialect that Nico's family speaks.  Of course, they are very good at switching into German for me but I like to listen sometimes and it's amazing how similar some words are to the Yorkshire or Scottish accents and dialects in English.  (Or not so amazing when you consider the history).  The biggest issue I ever had with German?  The Swiss.  I was completely lost every time my Swiss friends got together in Barcelona.  However, learning that German national television does actually use subtitles when showing the Swiss on TV helped me fell better!