#hinative

I'm usually really really afraid of talking in foreign languages, because I don't feel confident with my accent (also I fear that people will make fun of the way I pronounce words). However, today I recorded myself talking in Mandarin (the six syllables that I find more difficult), and I asked on Hinative how was my pronunciation and what I could do to improve. Well, this guy answered me this:

You are a lone Japanese study warrior, tackling the language as best you can with your self-learning methods. But your studies inevitably lead to questions; questions you need humans to answer.

But you're "lone," remember? How can you get answers to specific, complex Japanese questions without the help of a teacher or language partner?

Don't lose hope. There are ways you can answer your burning Japanese learning questions with minimal search and human contact. Read on to discover them all.

Here is a list of my favorite language learning resources:

1. Buy a workbook This is the only tip that costs money. If you can’t take a class then buying a book that can teach you the rules of grammar in your target language is important in getting you comfortable reading and writing that language. If you’re learning French or Spanish I’d recommend these All-In-One workbooks: French | Spanish

2. Coffee Break - Podcast A podcast alone won’t help you learn a language, but listening to the version in your target language will teach you basic grammar and help you practice listening comprehension. Which is really important if you plan on using your skills! You can find them anywhere you listen to podcasts, but as an example here’s a link to the German series.

3. WordReference I try to write at least one original sentence in my target language every day. WordReference helps me with vocabulary because unlike Google Translate it provides context and example sentences, as well as teaching you how to conjugate verbs.

4. HiNative Everyone knows about Duolingo, which helps you learn vocabulary and form basic sentences. But HiNative is a community app, that let’s you ask questions, and receive corrections from people fluent in your target language. There are a lot of helpful options, and I use this app a lot to check my sentences and ask questions. 

I am really interested in trying out my newly acquired Mandarin skills. I looked into a couple different apps that could connect me with native or fluent Mandarin speakers, with some mixed results. 

HelloTalk and HiNative are on the top of every Google search (remember it’s gotta be free for me). Sadly my phone is too crappy for HelloTalk so I downloaded HiNative to see what it’s all about. Short answer, not much. HiNative is a question and answer platform. It’s designed so that the learner can ask a question and receive feedback from anyone native or fluent in that language, not a conversation. On a positive note, I asked one simple question and received four answers within 10 minutes. That’s pretty impressive for a hive mind platform. I could see it being useful for learning technical jargon or deciphering nuanced sayings. Still without the ability to carry on a national conversation, HiNative feels like a niche app for well thought-out questions only.

Then I came across Tandem. Tandem never appeared in my google searches. That’s a huge let down because I am already really digging the layout. First, users apply to join the Tandem community. Upon acceptance it’s made clear users who attempt to romance on the platform, sell products and services to the other users, or those from the biggis assholis tribe are not welcome. Users can practice their convo skills by video chatting or texting another user. 

What’s really impressive is most of my matches were people in my target language learning my native language. That’s hugely beneficial because both users can take turns being teachers :). What a great idea! Also a user can list multiple target languages to find different chat buddies. That’s clever. I mean who wants to learn one language ;). Updates later!