Language Trainers Blogs

February 2019:

February 15 2019 (Language Trainers USA)

Source Pixabay Due to the differences in law, the majority of commonly used websites in the USA or Europe are inaccessible in China. This is something tourists often forget as they pack for their journeys abroad – and this article will offer you a comprehensive guide to using the internet in China.     Blocked Websites/Apps The following list consists of the most common websites used outside of China which are inaccessible within. Source Pixabay Search engines, including Google (and all Google-related sites, such as Google Drive, Maps, Gmail etc.), Yahoo!, Bing,... (Read More).

February 08 2019 (Language Trainers USA)

Source: Pixabay With a population of over 1.4 billion, if you’re planning on visiting China, then there’s one thing you simply can’t miss: the people.   The fact is, there will be a lot (and I mean A LOT) of people no matter where you go, in scales quite unlike anything else you will ever see. Regardless of where you come from, even if you come from big cities like London, New York, or Paris, China will be a completely new experience.   Crowds will be a part of life in China, so here are a few tips to help you manage the hustle and bustle, as well as a few things to watch... (Read More).

February 01 2019 (Language Trainers USA)

Source: Pixabay China is a vast country steeped with culture and history. Even for someone like me, traveling around the country can bring a huge variety of new experiences, as well as some unexpected issues! There were a lot of everyday things which I took for granted in England which were completely different in China. Whilst the traveling was great, there were definitely a few things I wish I’d known about earlier that would have made my trip a lot easier!   So to save you the time and hassle which I endured, here are just a few quick tips and things to be aware of before you plan... (Read More).

January 2019:

January 30 2019 (Language Trainers UK)

Source: Pixabay   Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced linguist, we will all have been at a point where we’ve had to ask the question: ‘What language should I study'’   It might not seem like a big deal, but learning a language can require both money and a lot of time, so it’s important to select something you are willing to invest in. In order to choose the most appropriate language for you, make sure to ask yourself these questions before you get started.     Source: Pixabay Why are you studying a language' Identify your motives for studying a language.... (Read More).

November 2018:

November 16 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Source Pixabay Whether you’re visiting the UAE to take in the sights or to get a new lease on life – it’s essential to familiarise yourself with some basic do’s and don’ts. Take it from someone who lived and worked in Dubai for 2 years;  the UAE is in a league of its own – in every possible way. When most people think of the UAE – they undoubtedly think of the glamorous Dubai made up of date palms, skyscrapers, and sand for days. You aren’t rich until you’re rich in Dubai, and it’s the only place where people can have their cake and eat it too. But it’s quite... (Read More).

November 16 2018 (Language Trainers USA)

Photo credit Pixabay It is often said that Mandarin Chinese is one of the hardest languages to learn. In fact, where in English we say “It’s all Greek to me” when we come across languages or ideas we don’t understand, many languages say ‘It’s all Chinese.”   Learning a language requires a good teacher and a good textbook. Now I like to think I’m the former, and when it comes to the latter, one quick look at Amazon will show there are a plethora of choices. Now there are the classic ‘travelers’ books or ‘quick basic Chinese’ books, but I will be honest, these are... (Read More).

November 02 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

  Ein Leben als Digital Nomad in Südostasien klingt für die meisten Leute nach Kokosnüssen am Strand, surfen und gelegentlich in Strandbars am Laptop sitzen. Natürlich besteht mein Businessoutfit aus Bikinis und bunten Elefantenhosen. Meine Armbanduhr musste bunten Armbändern und Fußkettchen weichen und statt am Schreibtisch zu sitzen liege ich in der Hängematte, während ich darüber sinniere wo ich meinen nächsten Drink herbekomme. Wie so häufig ist das in der Realität jedoch anders. Mein Leben ist kein Rosamunde Pilcher Roman, bei der ich an jedem neuen Ort einer weiteren... (Read More).

October 2018:

October 30 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Source: Pixabay Barcelona is a remarkable city in multiple senses of the term. A Mediterranean metropolis known for its sandy beaches, fairytale architecture, vibrant culinary tradition and impressive artistic heritage. It really is no wonder that millions of tourists flock here year after year to take it all in for themselves. Having spent over six months living in the city, I can confirm that the list of ways to pass your time in the Catalan capital really does stretch on: from lazing on the beach with a book after work, to spending Sundays at street food fairs or techno day parties,... (Read More).

October 30 2018 (Language Trainers USA)

Source: Pixabay –san' –kun' We get it. Japanese honorifics are filled with their own, particular nuances which might not be directly translatable, and as such, using them can be a daunting task. If you address someone by the wrong title, at best, it would simply seem a little funny, but at worst, it could be patronizing, or even offensive!   So to make life a little easier, here is a comprehensive list of some of the most common honorifics. With every honorific, we’ve included the genders and age range of people you should use it for, as well as a detailed explanation of... (Read More).

October 08 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Wenn wir einen Einblick in eine andere Kultur möchten, dann gelingt uns das auf die Schnelle leicht über die Sprache und traditionelle Gerichte. Wenn wir Glück haben, dann dürfen wir auch noch an den großen und wichtigen Ereignissen des Lebens teilhaben. Diese sind in fast jeder Kultur gleich. Die Geburt, Hochzeit und Beerdigung gelten weltweit als einschneidende Erlebnisse. Ich hatte das Glück – das klingt irgendwie nach schwarzem Humor – bei einer traditionellen Beerdigungsfeier in Ghana dabei zu sein. Von außen betrachtet war das auf den ersten Blick eine Mischung aus Karneval,... (Read More).

October 01 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Halloween is upon us! And though our thoughts might be turned more to pumpkin carving and how much candy we can stuff in our faces, there are other Halloween traditions to observe as well! Halloween has been part of our culture for as long as us and most of our living relatives remember. Though our long-past relatives might have a thing or two to say about it as well, given that Halloween is thought to date back to Celtic times! And what comes with tradition, and heritage' Language, of course! Here are some of the words and phrases associated with our favourite spooky time of year. ESL... (Read More).

September 2018:

September 21 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

  Man bleibt nicht lange allein. Ich kann allen Frauen, die auf der Suche nach einem Mann sind, nur raten: packt eure Koffer und reist los! Ihr lernt dann vermutlich mehr kennen, als euch lieb ist und damit meine ich nicht nur andere Kulturen, euch selbst, sondern auch viele neue Männer und deren merkwürdig getarntes Dating Verhalten. Eigentlich bin ich nach Bali geflogen um allein zu sein. Fast sechs Wochen lang wollte ich mich nur um meine Bedürfnisse kümmern und mit so wenig Menschen wie möglich kommunizieren. Ist schon auf dem Flug nach Bali gescheitert. Um mich nicht... (Read More).

September 17 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Not a lot of people like to be thought of as odd, but there are plenty among us who would happily settle for being called eccentric. And that is no truer than of us English folk, with our turns of phrases that leave many a language learner or non-British English speaker feeling perplexed. Here are some of the best oddities of the English language you will find in our lands. We’ll even do our best to translate them for you as well! Coventry via Pixabay 1. Sent to Coventry The place where nobody wants to be sent to, but quite a few people would like to go! What’s so awful about... (Read More).

September 03 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Summer is drawing to an end for us here in the Northern Hemisphere and is still a couple of months away for those in the South. And if Summer is the time of year when you feel most motivated to start new things, well, learning a language right now might not be something that’s even occurred to you! The truth is, there is never a bad time to start learning a language. The only question is which is the language you will choose. In an effort to help with the decision-making process, here are a few suggestions of the unofficial best languages to learn in 2018. Photo via Pixabay Easy... (Read More).

August 2018:

August 31 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Du wolltest schon immer mal den Mount Pitchu besteigen, dein Spiegelbild in der glatten Oberfläche des Königssees bewundern oder dich in allen Wegen, die nach Rom führen verirren, aber findest keine Reisebegleitung' Deine Freunde wollen woanders hin, dein Partner bekommt keinen Urlaub und Reisegruppen schrecken dich ab' Dann lass dich nicht aufhalten und fahre einfach allein los! „Allein, wirklich' Das ist doch nichts für mich!“, denkst du dir jetzt vielleicht, besonders dann ist es an der Zeit dir unsere fünf Gründe durchzulesen, warum jeder mindestens einmal in seinem Leben... (Read More).

August 14 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Do you know that a lot of currently trendy words have an Irish origin' “Dystopia”, a term used in TV shows, in world politics and, quite possibly, the imminent future could be one. It was coined as the opposite of Utopia, by the philosopher John Stuart Mill, when describing the plight of Irish tenant farmers to the English parliament in 1868. Another word is “boycott”, bandied about today as part of the trend for trade wars and activism, has its roots in those same tenant farmers refusing to pay rent to their county Mayo landlord, Charles Boycott in 1880. There are... (Read More).

August 14 2018 (Language Trainers USA)

We learn from an early age—in whatever language we speak—that it is always a good idea to think before we speak. But does the very language that we speak change the way we think about the world around us' Time to combine philosophy and linguistics to see what we get. Learn more about how language shapes and may very well influence our thoughts. Photo via Pixabay The origin of an idea For linguists of the world it is known that all languages behave differently, depending on the grammar structure and vocabulary to hand. We have mentioned in the past that countries whose language... (Read More).

August 10 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Alle deine Freunde und Kollegin plantschen im Meer, relaxen in den Bergen oder reiten auf Elefanten durch die Gegend, nur du armes Ding musst zu Hause bleiben, weil du die Urlaubskasse entweder zu früh geplündert hast, noch nie eine hattest oder einfach keinen Urlaub bekommst' Unsere 10 Tipps & Tricks helfen dir dabei, Urlaubsfeeling in den Alltag zu holen 1. Erkunde die Stadt wie ein Tourist Sicherlich musst dafür nicht aussehen wie einer. Die Cargohose kannst du getrost im Schrank lassen, aber nimm dir Zeit und erkunde deine eigene Stadt. Arbeite sämtliche Sightseeing Spots ab,... (Read More).

August 03 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Travelling and all that can come with it is, for some, the very best that life has to offer. While it’s obviously not for everyone, travelling can open doors, break down barriers and make dreams a reality. It has a liberating quality that some could argue can’t be found in nearly any other activity. That doesn’t mean, though, that the travel lifestyle isn’t a tough one. With every rewarding photo or memorable moment comes with it the work that it takes to get there—physically, logistically, emotionally, financially and mentally. And for some, it’s even harder than all... (Read More).

July 2018:

July 30 2018 (Language Trainers USA)

Photo via Flickr The benefits of exercising your passions with loved ones can obviously never be underestimated, and it’s a well-known truth that couples who love to do things together are more likely to stay together longer. So, have you ever considered learning a language with your partner' Now, the success by which you may be able to learn a language all depends on how much time and effort you’re both willing to put in. Some love learning another language and are very capable at it, while others struggle and don’t find it enjoyable. As long as there’s a fair amount of interest... (Read More).

July 27 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Raus aus deiner Komfortzone Runter von der Couch und rein ins Flugzeug! Na gut, du musst nicht direkt ins Flugzeug steigen. Bus, Zug oder Auto tun es auch. Beim Reisen müssen wir häufig unsere Komfortzone verlassen, aber warum sollten wir das tun' Das klingt doch erstmal ziemlich unbequem. Weil es deinen Horizont erweitern wird, ganz einfach. Du hast beim Reisen nicht nur die Möglichkeit ein neuer Mensch zu sein, sondern auch neue Dinge auszuprobieren. Vielleicht lernst du dich beim Water Rafting von einer neuen Seite kennen und entdeckst ein neues Hobby für dich' Vielleicht merkst du... (Read More).

July 16 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Sometimes, it can be enough just to remember to eat in a day. On days like that, all we can hope for is to accomplish the major necessities in life, and wait until we have time for all the rest. Unfortunately, travelling can often be thrown to the wayside in the midst of our normal busyness if we aren’t careful. While we, of course, need to remember that there’s a time and a place for everything – including travelling – it’s also admittedly something that we should prioritise if we love it. Photo via Flickr So, how’s it possible to balance a busy lifestyle (you know, those days... (Read More).

July 16 2018 (Language Trainers USA)

Speech recognition has come a long way from its humble roots in the 1950s when a machine was built to recognize the numbers one to nine. Today we can turn our voices into text, speak to automated services to get through to the right people, and program our Siris, Alexas, and Cortanas to be our personal assistants, cutting so many corners on our menial tasks. But this is all very English-oriented. What do these advances mean for the multitude of all the other languages that the world speaks' GIF via Giphy Automatic Speech Recognition Okay, so not all automatic speech recognition (ASR) is... (Read More).

July 13 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Wenn wir als Kind eine Sprache lernen, dann haben wir keine Scheu, sondern machen bedingungslos Laute und Geräusche nach, ja häufig sogar Mimik, die unsere Eltern uns vorleben. Stück für Stück entwickeln wir mehr und mehr ein empfinden für unsere Muttersprache, bis wir irgendwann klar und verständlich Wünsche und Bedürfnisse äußern können. Später, wenn wir in die Schule gehen, erlernen die meisten von uns weitere Sprachen.  Als erwachsene Menschen verstehen wir dann, dass fremde Sprachen lernen nicht nur aus Vokabeln pauken und Grammatik lernen besteht, sondern uns auch fremde... (Read More).

July 09 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Language learning today is a very different process from what it used to be. The development of apps, online classrooms and translation tools has lead to many attempting to learn a new language using online resources alone. In fact, Luis von Ahn, the creator of the hugely popular free language app DuoLingo, claims that there are more people actively learning a language through his app than in the entire US public school system. It appears to make sense: in the modern technological world where everything is at our fingertips, why rely on expensive teachers or stale grammar textbooks when the... (Read More).

July 03 2018 (Language Trainers UK)

Sean Hopwood, MBA is founder and President of Day Translations, an online localisation and translation services provider. The company’s DayInterpreting service connects clients to interpreting quickly and effectively via the web or phone. Image copyright: sifotography / 123RF Stock Photo Many of us are often content to stay in the same country we’re born in, to live out a meaningful life in a familiar environment. While there’s definitely nothing wrong with this, most people who make this decision see no use of learning a second language – especially if the language they do... (Read More).

June 2018:

June 29 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Für dein Hipster Wochenende in Berlin solltest du gut vorbereitet sein. Wer als echter Hipster durch die Hauptstadt laufen will, sollte nichts dem Zufall überlassen. Um deine zahlreichen Erlebnisse zu dokumentieren solltest du auf gar keinen Fall deine Fotokamera vergessen. Nein, bitte keine hochmoderne Spiegelreflex sondern eine auf alt gemachte. Falls du die nicht hast packe zumindest eine Polaroid Kamera für deine schönsten Hipster Erfahrungen in Berlin ein, um sie später mit dem Handy abzufotografieren, damit du all deinen Freunden zeigen kannst was für ein cooler Weltenbummler du... (Read More).

April 2018:

April 04 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Manchmal haben wir bestimmte Vorurteile, wenn es um ausländische Filme geht. Wir behaupten, dass Sie nicht gut genug sind und qualitativ es nicht wert sind anzuschauen. Wir machen uns Sorgen, dass wenn wir den Untertitel lesen müssen, es auf Dauer zu anstrengend ist. Wenn man jedoch in anderen Ländern aufwächst, z.B. Mexiko, verbringt man sehr viel Zeit mit Filme schauen. Die Filme sind entweder mit Übersetzung oder es sind mexikanische Filme. Dies macht jedoch keinen Unterschied für manche, da beide Arten nicht sehr ansprechend sind, wenn es nicht direkt aus Hollywood kommt. Je älter... (Read More).

March 2018:

March 14 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Während eine geführte Tour oder ein privater Reiseführer an einigen Orten und für alle Arten von Reisenden nicht nur notwendig sondern sogar effektiv sein kann, kann dies manchmal den Unterschied zwischen einer unglaublich Reise und einer normalen Reise bedeuten. Denk einen Moment darüber nach, warum Führungen oder Reiseführer nicht oft in Betracht gezogen werden. Ist es der Preis, der dich normalerweise so oft wie möglich davon abhält, Touren und Führer zu benutzen' Obwohl es von Land, Firma oder Person abhängt, sind einige Touren nicht annähernd so teuer, wie du vielleicht... (Read More).

March 06 2018 (Language Trainers Germany)

Jeder, der ein Fan von Wein ist, möchte sicher sein, ein oder zwei Weinkellereien während eines Urlaubs in Frankreich zu besuchen. Ob Sie in Paris, bei den schöne Hügeln von Bordeaux oder im Loiretal wohnen – oder einfach nur irgendwo anders in diesem üppigen Land – Sie können sich sicher sein, dass es in der Nähe fantastische und erschwingliche Weine gibt. Es ist ziemlich einfach, eine hervorragende Flasche Wein für 10€ oder weniger zu finden. Sie werden sicherlich ein paar Ihrer Favoriten kaufen wollen und diese auf Ihrer Rückreise nach Hause mitnehmen, oder... (Read More).