![By Georges Garen [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://languagesurfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/tour_eiffel-220x126.jpg)
Are you trying to learn a new language, but are overwhelmed by the terminology? Feeling lost when people toss around linguistic terms in language-learning forums? Well, you’re in luck! Here are 25 language learning terms and their definitions, presented in an easy-to-understand way. (Disclaimer: This is all in good fun. Don’t use this info in…
A couple weekends ago, my friend Danny and I flew up to visit our friend Aaron. While we were up there, I realized something about Aaron’s town: It’s a mecca for Korean language learners. That small city, which is over 7000 miles from Seoul, is probably about as close as you can get to being…
![Claudette Restaurant - Montreal, Canada
By Jeangagnon (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://languagesurfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/montreal_restaurant-220x126.jpg)
I’m now in the swing of things with learning Tagalog. The nice thing about starting a new language project is that I discover (and rediscover) stuff that really helps me learn. The bad thing is that I feel a little time-crunched. I’ve been really busy lately. I started a new job, which is great but…
![By Magalhães (Own work (own picture)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://languagesurfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/bohol_tree-220x126.jpg)
If you’re a part of my Language Surf Club, then you know from my newsletter that I want my Tagalog project to be my most transparent language project to date. So here’s update #1. Video For the video, I used a script to help me. I read the line, looked at the web cam, said…
![Swimming Pool in Luxor, Egypt
By Przemyslaw "Blueshade" Idzkiewicz [CC 2.0] - Image Source](http://languagesurfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/luxor_swimming_pool-220x126.jpg)
Recently, a reader named Stefan asked me in the comments, “What do I do after Duolingo?” It was a good question, and one I imagine a lot of people have. If you’ve finished a Duolingo skill tree, congratulations! That required a lot of commitment, and by now you are likely able to do some things…
Kumusta! Anong balita? In my last post, I talked about how it’s going to take 15 weeks for the results of my German-to-English translation test to get back to me. Well, I’m going to use this time wisely and try to cross off something on my language bucket list while I wait: I’m going to…
This weekend I drove four hours from my home in Orlando to Miami. Miami! Was I there to visit its beautiful world-famous beach? Eat a medianoche at a Cuban sandwich place? Go dancing with models at a trendy nightclub? Nope. I was there to take a translation test. (Womp-wompppp) After a couple years of studying…
![Cinema Paradiso
By Markus Mitterauer from Austria aka Addicted (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://languagesurfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cinema_paradiso-220x126.jpg)
Listening. It’s an important skill in language learning. If you’re taking a proficiency exam, you’ll more than likely be tested on listening–along with reading, writing, and speaking. And it’s hard to hold a conversation if you can’t understand what the other person is saying. I’m of the personal belief that listening holds special importance for…
This is a little bit of a departure from my usual posts, but some specific events over the last several months have made me reflect on whether I want to continue with this whole blogging thing. I focus a lot on the process of language learning, but this is also a personal blog. For better…
![By Fleyx24 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://languagesurfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/helene_fischer-220x126.jpg)
Listening to music is a staple of my language learning. You get to hear authentic language, you get insight into a country’s culture and mindset, and music has been shown to help people retain language better. But really, the best reason to listen to music is that it’s fun. Here are seven good songs to…