#foreign-languages — Public Fediverse posts

Anthony Castelvecchi on learning foreign languages

[2 segments starting from the time stamp]

If you're a YT user please give him a subscribe.

https://youtu.be/-CTZiWFjrlc?si=k9zWmK80xfiCHX_h&t=764

#language #learning #ForeignLanguages

Na regen komt zonneschijn
☔ Betekenis : Na een periode van tegenslag komt er een betere tijd. / Voorspoed volgt op tegenspoed. / Als er wat naars is gebeurd, wordt het daarna weer beter.
☔ Vertaling, translation, traduction, Überseztung, traduzione : English, français, Deutsch, italiano, português, español → ALT

#spreekwoorden #idioms #expressions #nederlands #dutch #language #languages #foreignlanguages #humanities #linguistics #taal #langue #regen #zonneschijn #gezegde #nt2 #dutchlearning

😈 Als je over de duivel spreekt, dan rammelen zijn kettingen
😈 Betekenis: De persoon over wie men spreekt, laat zich dikwijls op dat moment zien / Over een persoon praten die er dan plots komt aanlopen / Dat wordt gezegd als een persoon over wie gesproken wordt, juist binnenkomt
😈 English, français, Deutsch, italiano, español→ ALT

#spreekwoorden #dutchidioms #expressions #nederlands #dutch #language #languages #foreignlanguages #humanities #linguistics #foreignlanguages #taal #langue #duivel

🐶 Blaffende honden bijten niet.

Translation in English, traduction en français, Übersetzung auf Deutsch, traduzione in italiano, tradução para português, traducción al español → 👉 ALT

#nederlands #nederlandsetaal #néerlandais #hollandais #dutch #neerlandês #niederländisch #neerlandés #français #english #deutsch #português #español #vertaling #translation #Übersetzung #traduzione #traducción #tradução #foreignlanguages #polyglot #languesétrangères #Fremdsprachen #nt2 #humanities #languages

⏰ De morgenstond heeft goud in de mond.
⏰ Deutsch: Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund.
⏰ Italiano: Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca.
⏰ Português: Quem cedo madruga / Deus o ajuda.

#nederlands #nederlandsetaal #néerlandais #hollandais #neerlandês #niederländisch #english #français #deutsch #português #duits #italiaans #frans #portugees #vertaling #traduction #translation #Übersetzung #tradução #nt2 #languages #talen #multilingual #polyglot #foreignlanguages #languesétrangères #Fremdsprachen #humanities

From here in Japan I was honored by this tribute from The Worthy Educator in the U.S.: "Steve McCarty gets celebratED for receiving the second annual Veteran Teacher Voices Interview from The College and University Educators research group of the Japan Association for Language Teaching! We celebrate Steve for this recognition of his impressive career in higher education!"

The Web page with links is at https://www.get-celebrated.com/post/steve-mccarty-receives-second-annual-veteran-teacher-voices-interview-from-jalt

Or I suggest that you go straight to the interview, available to non-members of ResearchGate by just scrolling down, at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/386424805_Interview_with_Steve_McCarty_on_his_professorial_accomplishments_in_Japan

The interview is not just about my project initiatives and publications but also about foreign language issues such as the long-term effects of AI on language acquisition.

#Japan #Education #HigherEducation #interview #bilingualism #English #ForeignLanguages #LanguageLearning #career #publications
@linguistics @academicchatter @japan

p.s. This is really bad.
The U.S. Department of Defense is withdrawing funding for more than a third of the 31 language flagship programs it supports at 23 universities across the country.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/study-abroad/2024/05/15/defense-department-cuts-13-its-language-flagship-programs
#languagelearning #foreignlanguages #education #educationfunding

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“Think of grief, anger, worry as bricks or planks of wood. Stop staring at the materials, half believing they were delivered to you by mistake, half expecting a truck to haul them away. Accept that these are your materials right now. Start building.”

– Maggie Smith, from her book Keep Moving

I’ve been feeling a lot of grief, anger and worry since the morning of November 6th 2024, when the results of the US presidential election were announced. Never in a million years I would have expected a convicted felon, an openly xenophobic, racist, transphobic misogynist and insurrectionist to be voted by half the country and allowed to ascend – yet again – to the most powerful job in his country. All this aided and abetted by a group of tech billionaires.

Four years is a long time. But it can also go by fast: ask this to any parent of a small child. As they say: the days are long but the years are short.

Instead of wallowing in this grief and anger, I have resolved to make this time – these four years – matter. It makes me feel better and more empowered to set some high goals, so that by January 2029 I could look back and think to myself: I have grown and helped others during these tumultuous four years. I made good use of that time.

Thus, “my so-called sudo life”.

What does “my so-called sudo life” mean?

sudo (short for “superuser do”) is a command on Unix systems that grants “superpowers” to a user, allowing them to execute commands with elevated privileges, like an admin.

This cartoon by xkcd was the first Linux joke I ever got:

I found it apt to name a blog about my new journey of (mostly tech) resistance and empowerment after that command line.

4 Goals for the next 4 years

In the days following November 6th I sketched a plan – for my own self care: set 4 goals for the next 4 years – 2 internal (self-improvement) and two “external” (helping others).

Goal 1: learn Linux, a free, open source operating system to set myself free from Big Tech monopolies. Sub goal no. 1: become so proficient in Linux that I could create a Linux computer, a Linux tablet and a Linux phone for my child (when the time comes, she’s 3 now). Sub goal no.2: become so proficient I can host my own Fediverse instance.

Goal 2: learn a new foreign language. I’m already fully fluent in Italian (my mother tongue), English and French. I love how learning a new language feels energizing and allows you to better understand new cultures. Well, I haven’t officially picked a new language yet. It’s currently a toss-up between Spanish (which I already understand well, because it’s similar to Italian) and Japanese (my favorite country to visit and added bonus: I could interact with people on MissKey). For the challenge aspect I’m leaning towards Japanese… yet I acknowledge Spanish would be a more realistic goal.

Goal 3: start doing presentations in high schools and universities about the Fediverse and FOSS projects, in order to raise awareness about the toxic side of Big Tech and the free, open-source alternatives that already exist and are much better from an ethical / digital sovereignty point of view.

Goal 4: help make the Fediverse a more diverse place, safer and more welcoming for people of color.

The rebellion will be federated

In a previous blog post I wrote:

What do billionaires and kleptocrats want? Uninformed, impulsive citizens driven by emotions (fear, rage, anxiety) instead of critical thinking. This way, they are so much easier to manipulate – for the gains of kleptocrats.

And:

A healthy (in body and mind), active, frugal, sociable, mostly offline citizen who is highly educated and informed, in full control of their data, avoiding Big Tech’s platforms and algorithms, with a positive self-esteem and self-image, is probably persona non grata for [these] tech billionaires.

I found goals that will propel me forward for the next four years – with a sense of hope. And that feels awesome (amidst all this chaos and sorrow).

4 Years

I’m in the unique position of being able to measure time in comparison to a US presidential term: I was heavily pregnant during the January 6th 2021 U.S. Capitol attack; my child was born during the early days of the Biden presidency and will turn 4 after Trump is sworn in as president.

Over the course of 4 years I have seen my tiny human grow, get stronger and develop new intellectual and motor skills. So many skills! I remember when she could barely hold a spoon in her hand. Now she builds impossible structures with LEGOs. She went from being non-verbal and communicating through cries to… speaking two languages fluently. She actually loves correcting my French pronunciation from time to time (“rue” “en dessous”). We figured out she understands a bit of English, too, but keeps that knowledge secret from us.

You can grow and learn so much in four years.

Power

This is my so-called sudo life, where I am giving myself superuser privileges… and I look forward to seeing what kind of person I will be in four year’s time. More than anything, I hope I will be part of a community of like-minded people, working towards the same goals.

This blog – or journal – is for accountability… to keep me motivated on these goals. And to share lessons I learned, hoping to inspire others to take steps towards greater digital sovereignty.

It feels very Wizard of Oz like: “You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”

We already have so much power. There has never been a better time to take on superuser privileges (with care).

I shared my goals. What will be yours?

Elena

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https://elenarossini.com/2024/12/introducing-my-so-called-sudo-life/

#BigTech #digitalSovereignty #empowerment #floss #foreignLanguages #foss #freedom #Japanese #languages #linux #mySoCalledSudoLife #Spanish

Est-ce que quelqu'un connait une bonne appli pour apprendre des langues étrangères dispo sur #FDroid ?
#OpenSourceApp #ForeignLanguages

4/4

#vocab #anglais #foreignlanguages #languagecoach #apprendreautrement #speakfrench #onlinelearning #languagelover #assimil #parleranglais #languageapp #polyglot #languagegoals
#prononciation #language #languageexchange #expat #expatriation #expatlife
#expatpreneuse #entrepreneuse #entreprendreaufeminin #femmesentrepreneures #expat #expatriation #expatriés #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurlife #expatwomen #digitalnomad

https://celine-guerreiro.com/master-french/

2/3
By becoming a FluentExpat:

🌱You choose to move forward alongside individuals who share the same passions, lifestyle, and values as you.

🌱You create stronger and deeper connections that go beyond just being part of an expat group.

🌱You confidently break the language barrier to discuss topics that fascinate both you and your language partner.

#vocab #languageexchange #frenchonline #foreignlanguages #learningfrench

1/2 EXPATRIATE: How to excel and thrive in a French-speaking country?

When you are a "Fluent Expat":

You immerse yourself in the French-speaking culture successfully
You know all the tricks to excel in oral communication
You build your self-confidence through your solid skillset
You use hard and soft skills with ease

Succeeding as an expatriate requires special skills.

#vocab #français #apprentissage #enseignement #foreignlanguages

I failed my first few attempts at learning #ForeignLanguages, which I had picked based on the number of speakers, job opportunities, etc., despite my lack of interest in those languages and in the media that use them.

Years later, I’m finally making progress on my language learning life goal. Here’s how I now pick which foreign languages to learn…

#LanguageLearning

“Lexical Distance Among Languages of Europe”
https://alternativetransport.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/34/

Quite interesting—e.g.: Lexically, Ukrainian is closer to Polish than to Russian.

#Languages #ForeignLanguages #HumanLanguages

New Year seems an appropriate time to finally add an #intro of sorts here. Below is an A-Z of things I spend time with/would like to spend more time with; some in a professional capacity, some in a highly unprofessional one:
#Academia
#Bathrooms
#Chess
#DigitalNomad
#Editing
#ForeignLanguages
#Guitar
#Housesitting
#Irish
#JournalPublishing
#Kayaking
#LaTeX
#Mathematics
#Narrowboats
#Ornithology
#Puzzles
#Quizzes
#Reading
#Strolling
#TableTennis
#Ukulele
#Vim
#Writing
#Xenization
#Youtube
#Za

Hello, #MeatlessMonday on Mastodon! If you’re #vegan / #vegetarian and traveling to a non-English speaking country this holiday season, have I’ve got the primer for you ⬇️

https://www.treehugger.com/language-guide-order-no-meat-6744682

What #VeganTravelTips make your journey as enjoyable as possible?

#Languages #ForeignLanguage #ForeignLanguages #TravelTips #Veganism #Vegetarianism #NoMeat #VeganForTheAnimals #VeganForThePlanet #VeganAF #VeganLife #VeganLifestyle #AnimalEthics #Sustainability

Wasn't #Duolingo supposed to be updating their #Android app at the start of this month to reflect the new layout that's already available on the website? I'm still seeing the old layout and really don't like dealing with two interfaces depending on where I'm learning.

#Languages #ForeignLanguages

Hi #Mastodon! :D

Let's talk about #languages #ForeignLanguages.

What languages do you speak? Which ones do you learn? What is your level? Do you wish you could learn another language? ;-)

I speak:

- #Polish (natively)
- #English (B2 with C1 reading, I am a kind of a bookworm)

I'm also learning:

- #Italian (I'm currently A2 speaker, I believe?)

I also wish I could learn #German some day... :3

What about you? ;-)

What's your weekendend Ikigai?
Mine's #hiking and #foreignlanguages. 🧪🛣

Picture source: @Wikimedia​