Anthropologists define culture as “a complex whole that includes knowledge, ideas, art, law, morals, customs, and any potential habits acquired by man as a member of a particular culture.” These are all aspects that differ from one place to another and have a strong influence on the language locally spoken. That is why it is […]
Everyone knows that the most important part of learning a new language is increasing your vocabulary. You can get by without much of grammar but you can neither speak nor understand a language if you don’t know the words. So, the most pressing point in your progress is to try and memorise as many new […]
Speaking is usually the main aim for most people learning a foreign language. But there just seems to be something frightening about opening your mouth and speaking those first words in a foreign tongue. This is why Michael B – one of our English teachers in Brussels – has agreed to give you some tips […]
Ever had a situation where someone was talking to you in Hungarian and you understood the words but didn’t quite know what they meant? They might have been using an idiom or proverb. These are terms or phrases used in certain situations that have a second, implied meaning which is usually a bit difficult to […]
As there are some similarities between English and German, it can be easy to make the rookie mistake of directly translating idiomatic expressions in the hope that they’ll make sense to your unsuspecting German friend. Some corkers that I’ve busted out in the past include “Hoch fünf!” (High five!) and “Es ist nicht vorbei bis […]
Everyone wants to sound more like a native and, if you want to fit in with native speakers, or advance your career, then doing so will definitely help you in the long run. You don’t even have to be a fluent speaker to start improving your pronunciation. But, it is important that you know the […]
So, by now, you have been studying Italian for a little while, already feeling quite confident with the language. You are even able to manage the dreaded il Modo Congiuntivo. However, in certain situations it seems the locals are using terms and phrases that have a second, implied meaning which can be a little bit […]
Everyone loves meeting new people and making friends, yet many of us have felt slightly uncomfortable doing so in a foreign language. Non-native speakers can be discouraged to speak up in front of more fluent foreigners or natives for a variety of reasons. Sure, there is always at least a tiny bit of fear of […]
When you first start learning a language, you may feel the need to “get to a certain level” before you can start actively using your skills. This magical “certain level” of proficiency, unfortunately, has a nasty way of being like a mirage – every time you get close enough to reach it, it seems to […]
Ever had a situation where someone was talking to you in English and you understood the words but didn’t quite know what they meant? They might have been using an idiom or colloquialism. These are terms or phrases used in certain situations that have a second, implied meaning which is usually a bit difficult to […]
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