Elizabeth Zackheim Tuesday July 20 3:51pm One thing that can be a bit of a curve ball for the beginning Spanish learner is that certain expressions use the verb tener (to have), in places where English would use the verb “to be”. For example, to say things like “I am 25 years old” or “I... Continue Reading →
By Elizabeth Zackheim June 21st 8:21 am Ser? Estar? ¡Ay caramba! One of the first challenges you bump into when studying Spanish is how to tackle ser versus estar. The bad news is they both translate as "to be" in English so that makes things a little spicy. The good news? Knowing nothing, you've got... Continue Reading →
"My classes have been a life saver""I feel a sense of community""It is something I look forward to every week"I feel like I am really doing something for myself"I can see see the progress I am making" These are just a few comments we have received from our students during these unusual times. Since restrictions... Continue Reading →
Struggling to learn a new language with popular apps? If you are frustrated by your progress thus far, you are not alone, and it's not your fault. Apps are not meant to be an exclusive teaching tool. They don't work that way. They are meant to supplement in-person or virtual instruction so you can strengthen... Continue Reading →
A major motivator for many Russian students is the desire to experience Russian culture more fully. However, sometimes we can lose sight of that. Russian is for sure a difficult language to master. The grammar is completely different and there’s so much vocabulary to remember. Because of that, many beginner Russian students spend the bulk... Continue Reading →
While fall may be fast approaching, summer is not over yet! If you have an upcoming trip abroad, here are some tips to show your hosts that you have put in some time to learn about the country, culture, language and customs. While most folks understand that we are newbies to the country and will give us slack,... Continue Reading →
Meet Koko. Koko was a real Gorilla (July 4, 1971- June 19, 2018). Koko was taught sign language by her instructor and caregiver, Francine Patterson. By the end of her life, she is said to have had a vocabulary of 1000 ASL signs and was able to understand 2000 words of spoken English. Were her... Continue Reading →
LANGUAGE? DIALECT? REGIONALISM? ACCENT? PIDGIN? PATOIS? CREOLE? WHAT’S THE DIFF? This is a question that came up during one of our daily staff lunches and we had a good ol’ time geeking out on getting to the bottom of this question. So what is the difference exactly? Dialect/Accent /Patois/Regionalism: We all have a dialect. Our... Continue Reading →
Today it’s a matter of regional usage (e.g. North America vs Great Britain) but how did we get here? Pre-16th century, the season was known as “hærf-est”, basically “harvest”. Interesting to note that this root is still in play in modern Germanic languages (Dutch herfst, German Herbst and Scottish hairst). The word “autumn” is thought to... Continue Reading →
Finding your second language: An invitation to compare yourself to…yourself There is a wonderful article in the New Yorker about hyperpolyglots (those who speak at least 6 languages) that is worth a look-see. Hyperpolyglots are basically the Olympic-level champions of language acquisition. A fascinating world to say the least! And just like their athletic counterparts,... Continue Reading →
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