French has gained a reputation over the years as being a difficult language to learn. While there are many things that make it tricky from conjugating verbs, to learning the genders of each noun, to mastering the pronunciation, learning French is very much possible! With a bit of dedication, you’ll be speaking the language of(…)

Our next visit to a country with multiple languages takes us back to the African continent, the popular tourist destination of Morocco. And while the country might only have two official languages, there are others that you will find people regularly conversing in. If you’re looking to soak up culture, local cuisine, and converse in(…)

When Emmanuel Macron won the French elections in May 2017, his tasks included an overhaul of the French economy, and attempting to resurge the influence of France in Europe. Although these sorts of campaigns are nothing out of the ordinary for newly elected leaders to promise, his latest drive to make French great again is(…)

Since not all of us are lucky enough to have access to a TARDIS or Bill and Ted’s telephone booth (…what is it about time travel and booths?), the rest of us mere mortals will simply have to use another method to traverse the passage of time. And for that, we can turn to languages.(…)

Thanks to the internet, it seems that English really is everywhere. It sneaks into our vocabulary without even really trying, with loanwords for the things we take for granted becoming the norm, even in countries whose first language isn’t English. The question is, is it always welcome? Are non-English speaking countries happy with their hashtags,(…)

Ah, the cognate. The language learner’s friend, the link between learning and limbo. There is something very reassuring about coming across a familiar word that doesn’t already taste foreign on your tongue: one less word to learn, leaving more capacity for taking on that tongue-twister you’re having trouble pronouncing in your head, let alone out(…)

The bible is said to be the most translated book in the world. Translated from the alleged original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Koiné Greek, there are thought to be at least 530 full translations of the bible, and over 2800 partial ones from revered passages. So if you are stuck for something to read(…)

Africa is a continent with a rich heritage and history, full of stories to tell, things to see, and people to meet. Should you want to meet some of these wonderful people yourself, perhaps it would be a good starting point for you to learn a little of the local lingo. But where to start?(…)

For some people, all it takes is hearing a snippet of sultry French spoken to make them weak at the knees. Others love a crisp British accent or a lovely Irish lilt. Meanwhile the exotic exuberance of Brazilian Portuguese does it for other people. It’s a funny thing how accents can turn us on (and(…)

To become fluent in a language, you need to move beyond textbook grammar and learn how first language speakers actually talk. An important cornerstone of this native fluency is slang. French is no different. Casual French is full of words and expressions that you won’t find in your textbook. These words give colour to the(…)