20:39 ; 9 apr 21

02.16.20

Quick Tips for Learning Languages on Your Own

Here are some mindsets and techniques that helped me study Italian on my own after classes ended. Hope this helps :)

Also, I’m trying out a new format for shorter posts–let me know what you think!

Text format below.

Trying to squeeze in an italian study session before work. I started watching the show “my brilliant friend” so I can emerse myself more with the italian language through more forms of media. Another show I might watch after is Luna terra, if you guys have any recommendations feel free to tell me about it.

✦༝˚ 06/22/20 ˚༝✦

rainy day + italian studies 🇮🇹

✦༝˚ 2020 quarantine challenge | week 14 ˚༝✦ 

↳ monday: netflix or youtube?

British weatherman Liam Dutton EFFORTLESSLY pronouncing the seemingly near-impossible name of a Welsh town: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Y’all. This might seem just like a fun moment where a weatherman pronounced an impressively long word. But it’s so much more than that.

Wales is a part of the United Kingdom that seldom gets the same attention, especially internationally, as other parts of the UK (ex., England, Scotalnd or Northern Ireland). The people of Wales have their own distinct language and culture – both of which ahve often been looked down upon historically by other British peoples. In particular, the English-speaking politicians of old and new sought to make the UK an English-speaking country – leading to the decline and death of many of Britain’s languages. Languages are deeply tied to cultural heritage, and this could be said to be part of a greater effort to reduce cultural pride in minority ethnic groups in the UK. As such, over the past 200 years, Welsh as a language has been nearing language death. 

The Welsh people were not okay with this Anglicization of their nation. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch intentionally gave their town this long name in the 1860s – making it the longest name of any railroad post in Britain – as an effort to raise awareness about the Welsh language, which was beginning to die out. Today, Welsh is even closer to language death, but is slowly making a comeback. People like Liam Dutton, who are raising awareness of the Welsh language and culture in their everyday life, are helping to make that happen.

2. Welsh

3. Arabic

4. French