Polytechnic and university studies usually include only a few mandatory language courses. Even if you would like to include more languages in your studies, it might be difficult to fit them into your schedule. I remember that I would have liked to study more languages in high school, but in the end, my schedule was too full of other courses and I couldn’t fit them in. Luckily, it is never too late to start learning a new language! I have…
False friends (German: Falsche Freunde) refer to words or phrases in two languages which are similar but which mean different things. These resemblances can be external, meaning that the words look the same, but the words can also have a similar pronunciation. False friends can be perplexing for both language learners and language professionals. Below are some words we have gathered that may give you a headache! gift ≠ das Gift English: gift = German: das Geschenk German: das Gift = English: poison chef…
Setting goals is one of the most important steps when you want to succeed. They help you to identify what exactly you want to achieve and to focus on what really matters. First, you need to identify the fundamental reason why you are studying a foreign language. Why do you want to learn Spanish? What do you do when you are able to have conversations in Spanish? When you have figured out the answers to these questions, you have discovered…
Are you going to an event where you don’t know anyone but would like to make new acquaintances? It’s not easy to start a conversation with someone you don’t know, especially in a foreign language. However, these tips will get you started easily. Observe the situation and listen Before joining a conversation, it’s wise to observe the situation first. The body language of the others will tell you if it’s a conversation that is okay to join. You will notice…
We Finns like to grill. Charcoal grills start popping up on our back yards the minute the first rays of spring sun touch the grass, and from Midsummer on, the smell of freshly roasted grill delicacies fills up the neighborhoods almost on a daily basis. But what kind of grilling habits do people have in other countries? We discovered some interesting barbecue and picnic traditions from different parts of the world. Perhaps some of these are already familiar to you!…
In order to have the ability to use a foreign language fluently, it’s not enough if you just know a bunch of words. You also need to be able to put them together to form sentences that make sense. Some languages are known for their tricky word order, and building sentences just like in your own first language may be impossible. Studying rules from a book is not for all of us Every language has its own challenges. In one…
