Easy Languages: Stories of Language Learning

Easy Languages
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Who said language learning has to be difficult? Join Rita, Raffaele and the teams from the Easy Languages network as they share their stories of language learning and answer your questions. Members get bonus content, monthly Q&As, discounts and many more perks. Learn more at easy-languages.org/podcast!

  1. 04/04/2023

    22: It’s a Wrap (For Now)

    It’s a wrap for season 1! The Easy Languages Podcast is taking a break. We hope you have enjoyed the past 21 episodes, found our language stories interesting, and our tips useful and actionable. As for the future… stay tuned on the Easy Languages YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/learnlanguages) and on our website: easy-languages.org (https://www.easy-languages.org/) On behalf of the Easy Languages team, thanks for listening, and happy language learning!

    1 min

  2. 28/02/2023

    21: 4 Asian Languages You Can Learn Together (With Hyperpolyglot & Author Tim Keeley)

    Join Rita in this special episode and listen to our remarkable guest, Tim Keeley - a hyperpolyglot & author - as he tells us about his fantastic life journey in 30 languages and gives us valuable insights into the historical and cultural ties that bind 4 of the major East Asian Languages: Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese. Tim explains - examples in support - the fascinating similarities these languages share and how it is an advantage to learn them together. Show Notes Polyglot Conference (https://polyglotconference.com) Polyglot Gathering (https://www.polyglotgathering.com/2023/en/) Polyglots mentioned in this episode: Richard Simcott (https://speakingfluently.com/about/) Luca Lampariello (https://www.lucalampariello.com/home/) Judith Meyer (https://learnlangs.com) Map of Japan (https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/japan) Ryukyuan languages, Japan (https://www.2m.com.au/blog/ryukyuan-language-japan/) Chinese Dynasties Timeline (https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chem/hd_chem.htm) Scripts & Language Structure: Alexandre de Rhodes & the Vietnamese Script (https://saigoneer.com/saigon-heritage/9498-street-cred-alexandre-de-rhodes-and-the-birth-of-chữ-quốc-ngữ) Hiragana, Katakana & Romaji (https://8020japanese.com/japanese-characters-explained/) Old Names for Japan (https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Yamato-damashii) Korean Script (Hangul) (https://www.mondly.com/blog/hangul-korean-alphabet-pronunciation/) “Japan Made English” (Wasei-Eigo) (https://kokoro-jp.com/culture/4587/) Particles in Korean & Japanese (https://medium.com/@nathanchinster/korean-and-japanese-particle-and-grammar-similarities-9ad0d9e48e71)

    39 min

  3. 20/02/2023

    20: New Languages for New Worlds: ConLangs and the Case of Esperanto

    In this episode we introduce artificial languages: a group of languages spoken, among other places, on Avatar's Pandora, or Tolkien's Middle-Earth. But the first stop of our trip is actually in Eastern Europe, where Esperanto was created in 1887. In the second part of the episode, we answer questions from two of our listeners, Anna and Joanna. Tune in and join the language talk! Show Notes Esperanto Esperanto (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto) (Wikipedia) 16 Grammar Rules (https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Esperanto/Grammar_Rules) (Wikiversity) 6 Basic Phrases in Esperanto (https://hinative.com/questions/12667329#answer-30637006) (HiNative) World Esperanto Congress (https://uea.org/kongresoj/UK) (Universala Esperanto-Asocio, in Esperanto) Other Constructed Languages (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructed_languages) (Wikipedia) Latino sine Flexione (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latino_sine_flexione) Klingon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klingon_language) Naʼvi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%CA%BCvi_language) Dothraki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dothraki_language) Valyrian languages (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valyrian_languages) Elvish languages (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Tolkien)) Toki Pona (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toki_Pona) 13 Sentences to Deconstruct a Language How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language in 1 Hour (https://tim.blog/2007/11/07/how-to-learn-but-not-master-any-language-in-1-hour-plus-a-favor/) (The Tim Ferriss blog)

    27 min

  4. 06/02/2023

    19: The Hardest Language in the World (Isn’t the One You Think…)

    What makes some languages harder to learn than others? In this episode, we attempt to entangle the objective factors - as to why a language is complex - from the subjective ones. We also dedicate a section to talking about our experiences with those languages which we traditionally think are the most difficult to master. Show Notes Foreign Service Institute Language Rankings (https://www.state.gov/foreign-language-training/) (Foreign Language Training) Can We Measure Language Difficulty by the Numbers? (https://towardsdatascience.com/can-we-measure-language-difficulty-by-the-numbers-3d591396934c) (Ofer Tirosh, TowardsScience) Rank of Language Difficulty (https://ai.glossika.com/blog/rank-of-language-difficulty) (Michael Campbell, Glossika Blog) What is the Hardest Language to Learn? (https://blog.thelinguist.com/the-hardest-language-to-learn-2/) (Steve Kaufmann, The Linguist Blog) Past tense ending in Turkish: ‑mış (https://www.turkishtextbook.com/beginner-mis-forms/) (TurkishTexbook) 13 Russian Verbs of Motion to Move Your Learning Forward (https://www.fluentu.com/blog/russian/russian-verbs-of-motion/) (Kelly Virginia Phelan, FluentU) Chinese Classifiers: What Are They And How To Use Them (https://chineseedge.com/chinese-classifiers-what-are-they-and-how-to-use-them/) ( Angie, ChineseEdge) Japanese Formal & Informal Speech (https://www.wyzant.com/blog/formal-vs-informal-speech-in-japanese/) (Lydia Thron, Wyzant) Conjugation of The Verb To Eat in Japanese (https://www.japaneseverbconjugator.com/VerbDetails.asp?txtVerb=食べる) (JapaneseVerbConjugator)

    27 min

  5. 30/01/2023

    18: This is Why We Use Subtitles in 2 Languages

    Join Rita and Raffaele in this new episode as they discuss the importance of using comprehensible input throughout your language learning journey, and how a certain degree of difficulty is needed and welcome while consuming language-related content. In the second part of the episode, they share a few resources like apps, books, and courses that make use of this principle and have helped them in the past and can help you too! But what does Rita really think about all this? Can you believe that even in-comprehensible input can help? Show Notes Comprehensible input (https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/knowing-subject/teaching-knowledge-database/comprehensible-input) (British Council) Linguist (definition) (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/linguist) (Cambridge Dictionary) Dog/Language Learning meme (https://blog.fluent-forever.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Captura-de-Pantalla-2022-06-28-a-las-10.50.07_1-799x1024.png) (Fluent Forever) Resources mentioned: Rosetta Stone (https://www.rosettastone.com/) Lingq (https://lingq.com/) Storylearning Books (https://storylearning.com/books) Interlinear Books (https://interlinearbooks.com/) YouTube videos: Does Input Have to Be "Comprehensible"? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeOmc1nRGG4) (Matt vs Japan) Why Did You Learn Esperanto? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgFoSJ4Z6pw) (Easy Esperanto 1)

    32 min

  6. 26/01/2023

    17: The Spirit of the Sakha Language (Yakut) With Tatiana O. & Olga Y. From Easy Sakha

    Yakutia, also known as the Sakha Republic, the land where the Taiga meets the Tundra, is one of the coldest inhabited areas in the world and home to one of the most unique and thrilling languages and cultures in the Russian Federation. At Easy Languages, we are happy to count Easy Sakha as one of those languages. In this episode, you'll listen to Tatiana O. & Olga Y. share all the essential facts about their fascinating language, the Sakha language, and give us their tips for learning languages in the second section. And if you want to learn some basics in Sakha, become a member & join us for a fun after-show! Show Notes What is Sakha/Yakut? Sakha Tyla (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sakha-language) (Britannica) Yakut Alphabet/Script (https://omniglot.com/writing/yakut.htm) (Omniglot) About Yakut language / Sakha tyla (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQeNXKT5o0g) (Life in Yakutia Channel) How similar are Tatar and Sakha/Yakut languages? With Eli from Russia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k97MH6bNmwg) (Life in Yakutia Channel) Similarities Between Turkish and Yakut (Siberian Turkic language) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFmNoN1nF78) (Bahador Alast Channel) History of Sakha: The Story of an Indigenous Siberian People (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8FEBsL1ucQ) (Left Handed Asians Channel) YAKUT PEOPLE, CULTURE, & LANGUAGE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sybAkpmNUE) (IloveLanguages! Channel) 10 Facts You Didn’t Know about Yakutsk (https://theculturetrip.com/russia/articles/10-facts-you-didnt-know-about-yakutsk/) (theculturetrip) Map of the Sakha Republic in the Russian Federation (https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-eastern-Russia-open-access-showing-the-location-of-the-Yakutia-Republic-and_fig1_322841841) Resources for learning Sakha: What People Wear in the Coldest Place on Earth (Yakutsk, Russia) | Easy Sakha 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW26FPa1Rdw) (Easy Languages Channel) Language Links Database (https://universeofmemory.com/yakut-language-resources/) Sakha Lessons (https://www.jehsmith.com/1/2019/07/sakha-lessons.html) Wordle in Sakha: https://sakhatyla.ru (https://sakhatyla.ru/) https://sakhatyla.ru/blogs/news/wordle (https://sakhatyla.ru/blogs/news/wordle) https://wordle.afanasev.net (https://wordle.afanasev.net/) https://wordle.tylytaay.ru (https://wordle.tylytaay.ru/) Application to learn Sakha (https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/135182)

    33 min

  7. 16/01/2023

    16: Språkmelodi, or the Sound of Swedish: Fredrik's Language Journey Around the World

    In this episode, we have a guest: Fredrik grew up in a small town close to Gothenburg, Sweden, but has lived in Australia, Turkey, Hungary, and Spain, where he lives now. When he's not studying languages, he teaches Swedish as the Swedish Linguist. In the first section of this episode, Fredrik tells us a bit more about his story. In the second section, we discuss the intelligibility between Scandinavian languages, and one of the features that make Swedish unique: språkmelodi, or the distinctive intonation of this beautiful language. But we also investigate the unusual meaning hidden behind a Swedish day of the week... Finally, in the last section of the episode, Fredrik opens up about how he really learns languages, and what lesson Hungarian taught him... Tune in and enjoy Fredrik's language journey around the world! Show Notes Fredrik’s projects: https://www.swedishlinguist.com/ (https://www.swedishlinguist.com/) https://www.swedishlinguist.com/podcast/ (https://www.swedishlinguist.com/podcast/) Are the Nordic languages mutually understandable? (https://nordics.info/show/artikel/are-the-nordic-languages-mutually-understandable) (Nordics Info, Aarhus University) Why is the Swedish language so melodic? (https://blogs.transparent.com/swedish/why-is-the-swedish-language-so-melodic/) (Transparent Language) Fredrik’s resources to learn Russian Lingq (https://www.lingq.com/) Russian with Max (https://www.russianwithmax.com/)

    31 min

  8. 11/01/2023

    15: Reasons You Should Join an Online Language Learning Community

    In this episode, we discuss why you should consider joining an online language-learning community if it still needs to be made the case. And there is no lack of reasons to do so! You can also listen to us share our experiences with language Apps, Forums and how you could use those cooperative settings to level up your language game! Besides, we talked about how a language challenge could benefit your learning and how to choose the community that suits you best. There's so much power when language enthusiasts come together! Listen up and join the fun! Show Notes Rita’s suggestions: - Samuel Vieira and Marjolein Benschop's Language Community (https://www.thelanguagecommunity.com) - Speaking Challenge (https://hugginsinternational.com/30dayspeakingchallenge/) (Jonathan Huggings) Raf's suggestions: - https://www.hellotalk.com - https://www.easy-languages.org/our-languages Examples of forums (https://www.ithinklanguages.com/learn-languages-forum/) Top language learning Apps (https://www.businessofapps.com/data/language-learning-app-market/) James Kenny's article (https://en.casademandarim.com/post/benefits-of-learning-a-language-in-a-community) Constance Porter's quote (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/online-community-language-learning-real-life-rebekah-goode/)

    21 min
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About

Who said language learning has to be difficult? Join Rita, Raffaele and the teams from the Easy Languages network as they share their stories of language learning and answer your questions. Members get bonus content, monthly Q&As, discounts and many more perks. Learn more at easy-languages.org/podcast!

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