Once upon a time, it was really hard to learn a new language. If you were an average (not poor, not rich) person living in a rural area, you might have been limited to whatever couple of languages your school offered. If you were out of school, you might not Read more…
There are four skills associated with language acquisition: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. A lot of learners spend all their time working on their speaking skills, but struggle with the listening part. Learning a language in a classroom can give you a false sense of confidence sometimes. Instructors often speak Read more…
I’ve had the good fortune of learning languages on my own and with the guidance of instructors. Both have their advantages, but there is something special about embracing the independence that comes with practicing a language outside of a traditional setting. If you’re reading this blog, you might understand where Read more…
When I started learning Russian, I had never even heard of cases and I definitely didn’t know that Russian had six essential ones. Looking back, I’m glad that I came in blind because I might have been discouraged had I known how difficult the grammar was. Five years later, I Read more…
When it comes to learning Russian, there are two types of people: those who are kind of interested and those who really want to learn. There is nothing wrong with either group. I can’t even count all the times I’ve said I wanted to learn a language and then put Read more…
Language learning in the 21st century is a gift and a curse. On the one hand, the internet can connect you to native speakers and show you new and innovative ways to learn your target language. On the other hand, there are so many resources popping up every day that Read more…
At this point, I don’t need to tell you that Russian grammar is complicated. Verbs are no exception, but fortunately conjugating in the past tense is rather simple. Whereas some languages have compound tenses (had done, have done, have been doing, etc.), Russian only has two options for past tense Read more…