We’ve all heard of the Intermediate Plateau. That stage in language learning where you’ve mastered enough grammar and everyday vocabulary that textbooks alone are no longer enough to keep you engaged, yet you feel like you’re never making enough progress. You understand so much more than you used to, but at the same time, there’s […]
Read more "6 Ways to Spice Up Your Studying Routine as an Intermediate Learner"
So, for the past 11 months or so, I have been self-studying for CATTI – China Accreditation Test For Translators And Interpreters. I want to take on Mandarin-English translation work eventually, so I need some sort of certification for that. Plus, it would be a good way to brush up on my Mandarin skills, which […]
Read more "Reviewing All My CATTI Books"
I’ve always found it curious how differently languages define emotions. Emotions, generally speaking, are universal – yet so many multilingual speakers would tell you that some are near impossible to translate.
Throughout my years of studying foreign languages, I have come across a lot of words that I find difficult to translate – at least, concisely. They range from abstract concepts to concrete objects, but none fascinates me like those pertaining to human emotions.
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Writing letters has always been one of
my favourite things to do. As a language learner, I find it to be one of the
most effective ways to practice my target language. It is essentially writing
exercise, vocabulary revision, reading comprehension practice and cultural
exchange rolled into one.
If you’re old-fashioned like me, snail mail would be right up your alley. But if you prefer something more fast-paced, you might want to start with email.
Read more "A Language Learner’s Guide to Pen Pals"
I want to begin this by saying that you don’t have to be an avid gamer to enjoy this. I’m not much of a gamer myself, yet my limited experience with gaming has done nothing to diminish the joy I was able to derive from these story-based adventure games. They don’t take much to get into, I can promise you that, so if you clicked on this thinking you don’t know enough about gaming to make much use of these games, hear me out.
So what are adventure games? They are, quite simply, story-based games with a central plot that plays out in several episodes (not unlike TV shows). Players get to explore the story as the protagonist and influence the plot via certain actions and dialogue choices. It’s a bit like watching movies that you can interact with.
Read more "Learning English via Adventure Games"