Language Insider

I want you to stop whatever you are doing for a second and think about all of the important people in your life. Think about your best friends, your parents, your sisters or brothers, your cousins, your partner. What would your life be like without these people? What if you could no longer communicate with these people?

Languages are what connect us all. Languages are what help us bridge the gap between communities and gain a better understanding of the world around us. They permit us to see the world through a different lens, to put on a pair of a new community or culture’s glasses and view the world the way they do. They are a gateway to the deepest, most purest forms of human expression and civilization, such as music, history or literature. Languages are what allows us to be transported to new universes while reading books or listening to songs. Languages are what allow us to form meaningful relationships with one another, to find our best friends and our partners. They help us satiate one of our basic human needs -- the need for connection. 

Languages allow us to transmit knowledge and information. They allow us to tell our loved ones how much we love them. They let us study what we love. Not only do they allow us to pursue our academic interests, but they give us the opportunity to learn more about ourselves and the people around us. They allow us to educate and be educated. To empower and be empowered. 

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s a commercial on the radio or TV, or eavesdropping on the subway, our ears perk up when we hear someone speaking in our target language. Depending on your level, you may find it hard to understand what they’re saying. Here is a list of some tips and resources that can help you improve your listening skills

1. Do a LOT of active listening.

One of the most useful exercises that one can do when practicing a new language is active listening. Search for an audio file, an audio book, a podcast, or a Youtube video (TED Talks are particularly useful) with a transcription. Listen to the audio file and follow along closely with the accompanied text. The app Lingq has dialogues with both audio and texts. Try listening to the audio without the text first, and then go back and listen while following the text. Which words did you recognize? Which words did you have trouble recognizing?

Making strong connections between the sound of the word and how it is written will help you recognize it in the future. Listen to the word, read it, write it, and speak it. The “Easy Languages” series on Youtube covers multiple languages, and has subtitles in both your target language and English. Follow along while paying close attention to the words and the sounds that correspond to them. Rewind and listen multiple times if you have to!

2. Don’t let frustration get the best of you. Give your brain time to digest the sounds and the melody of the languages. Getting frustrated only sets up a “mental block” that will prevent you from making any progress. Take a deep breath, put your headphones in and enjoy the learning process.

3. Listen to something that interests you. You might feel more encouraged to actively listen to something that actually interests you. This is a great way for your brain to become accustomed to the sounds of certain topic-specific words that you might use or hear in the future. n your target language, search “videos about _____ with a transcription,” or “podcasts with transcription.” Search for a topic that interests you and start listening! Here is a website that has TONS of material for a multitude of languages: http://www.languagelinksdatabase.com/free-language-resources/

4. Listen to music. Listening to music is a great way learn new vocabulary. Although the words are being sung and not spoken, it is still a great way for your brain to internalize the sounds of the language, and to learn new vocabulary as well! Ask some native speakers to recommend you some songs. Search for the lyrics on Google and follow along!

5. Read lips. Whether you’re watching a show on Netflix, or speaking with someone face-to-face, reading will help both your listening skills and your pronunciation. Applying your knowledge of the way that sounds are made to the movements of the other person’s lips will help your brain distinguish the words that they’re saying. This will help you pick out words that you might not have recognized otherwise!

With summer coming in my part of the world, I thought it would be useful to provide you with some summer vocabulary in Spanish that you can use this summer with your Spanish speaking friends. :)

The Summer Months - Los Meses del Verano

Summer - el verano

June - junio

July - julo

August - agosto

The Weather - El Tiempo

the sun - el sol

the heat - el calor

it’s sunny - hace sol

it’s hot - hace calor

Clothing - La Ropa

bikini - el bikini

t-shirt - la camiseta

shorts - los shorts

bathing suit - traje de baño

sunglasses - las gafas de sol

Activities/Other Vocabulary - Actividades/Otro Vocabulario

To go on vacation - ir de vacaciones

To be on vacation - estar de vacaciones

To travel - viajar

Suitcase - la maleta

The day - el dia 

The week - la semana

The month - el mes

Family - la familia

Friends - los amigos/las amigas

Beach - la playa

To swim - nadar

To tan - broncearse

Hey guys! I just made my first podcast about language learning. Please check it out! It would mean the world to me.