Language Tips - Blog Posts

language learning tips

-listen to disney songs in your target language. 

-watch tv shows with subs, dubs or both in your target language. 

-find some pop songs in your target language and listen to them while you work on something else. 

-when memorizing vocab, try writing the vocab in sentences, rather than just learning the vocab itself. try to make the example sentence as funny/ridiculous as possible, so you remember it later. 

-try texting a friend who speaks/is learning your target language. you might surprise each other with new words, and you’re more likely to remember them if they have context, eg. talking with a friend.

Spanish Langblr Side Blog <3

Hello lovelies!

I want to get some more practice in my Spanish studying, specifically my writing and reading skills. I want to start posting some writing in Spanish on Tumblr but I'm a bit wary of doing so on my main profile because I feel like it's going to throw off the vibe and aesthetic of my blog. That being said, I am going to create a Spanish side blog! I hope you guys will give me a follow over there and help me out with my sentence structure, vocabulary, grammar, and just how I'm doing in Spanish overall!

Username: @ros3ybabespanish

follow the side blog if you love language learning content <3

Spanish Media/Input Recommendations?

Can you guys comment me some good media/input recommendations for someone learning Mexican/Spain Spanish? I' talking about any and all that you guys find interesting, whether you learned Spanish on your own or it's your native language!

Books

Podcasts

Tv Shows

Movies

Youtube channels

Songs/Musical Artists

Favorite Spanish teachers/tutors on Italki

Literally anything!

Thank you guys <3

can anyone recommend a good textbook for learning Spanish? I really like studying using textbooks and I have two from when I took Spanish classes but they are the most unhelpful textbooks ever and I absolutely despise using them unless I have no other choice.

preferably I’d like a textbook that focuses on grammar as vocabulary is pretty easy for me to pick up given how widely Spanish is spoken in my city.

I’m also open to any music, song, movie, book, tv show, and any other spanish language learning material! I want to be able to speak spanish with some of the people I work with and I think it’s a great and beautiful language for me to learn overall, and definitely will be the most helpful!

*I am still going to self study Japanese during my six week break from classes, but I am going to try to divide my time between spanish and Japanese with a stronger focus on spanish! May even start a six week language challenge during my break to keep me motivated and accountable!

so if you guys have any recommendations for someone learning spanish (and even Japanese) , please comment/reblog this!

thanks in advance <3

In Need of Motivation 🎀

can anyone recommend some good studyspo YouTubers or just any studyspo content, study motivation advice and tips for right now?

I have homework and studying I need to work on but can’t find the motivation to move from my bed to my desk.

I might try a Study to Success video, or an old video from Studyquill.

also, I’m curious, what keeps you guys going to get some work done when you don’t feel like doing it? What sparks your productivity?

🩷

small break from my normal challenge posts to ask a question and get some feedback!

I’m going to start posting some language learning stuff and hopefully some study type content as well now that finals are coming up and during the following break I want to dive back into my language studies to keep my brain full of knowledge.

Can anyone recommend some resources and advice/tips?

I’m looking for (Mexican) Spanish learning resources, Japanese learning resources, and advice and tips on motivation to keep going with the language learning, some productivity and discipline tips, and just any advice and motivation you guys have in general? Even if it’s not language related and just school and study related, I would be so happy to hear from all of you guys!

I look forward to posting some more normal everyday content along side the study school and language stuff along with my challenge updates! I feel like I haven’t been keeping up with the normal content I want to post so I’m really looking forward to doing more of that now!

anywho, thanks in advance for the resources, advice, and tips! I appreciate all of you, lovelies 🩷🤍

Language Learning Goals 🎀

because I’m just starting out trying to re learn and familiarize myself with the Japanese language again, it was hard for me to think of current goals I might want to achieve, and what time frame I’d want to achieve them in. I think I will begin posting a monthly goals list because as I learn more of the language, my goals are definitely going to change. Right now I have my long term goals for Japanese and then some short term daily/monthly goals!

🌸 Long Term Japanese Goals -

conversational fluency - I want to be able to have comprehensible conversations with native Japanese speakers, and be able to understand what they say and also be able to speak the language myself

understand Japanese media - I want to be able to listen to music and watch Japanese YouTubers and Anime without subtitles

understand spoken/written Japanese - again, I want to be able to know what other people are saying in this beautiful language and also be able to read it to some extent.

My main goals long term are to travel to different parts of Japan in the coming future so being able to speak, understand, and read japanese are my biggest concerns but I’d also like to have that knowledge of writing the characters and knowing proper stroke order too, just for fun and education!

🌸 Daily Japanese Learning Goals -

Use one type of media as a passive learning tool (music, tv shows, YouTube, anime)

Study Flashcards 2-3 times (currently using my hiragana Flashcards I made on Anki)

Minimum of 2 Duolingo lessons

Practice writing the characters in an app (again, currently re learning hiragana)

1 other app lesson used as a supplemental learning tool (renshuu, Bunpo, LingoDeer, drops, etc)

My daily goals are a bit broad as this is typically what I want to do on a day to day basis for about a month of two, and then I will incorporate using textbooks, workbooks, notebooks, and really dive into the self studying and learning more structurally.

🌸 Monthly Japanese Goals (September) -

Memorize hiragana characters

Begin learning basic vocabulary (~30 vocabulary words by end of month)

Begin studying katakana characters (make Flashcards, use apps, etc)

Practicing speaking and pronunciation skills (shadow speak: use YouTube and some tv shows)

Practice realistic listening skills (YouTube videos, tv shows, anime)

Purchase Genki I and Genki II workbook and textbook + Answer Key and chart bundle

Kept a minimum of a 7 - 10 day streak on Duolingo

Joined Japanese club at my university

These are my current goals for the month of September! As the weeks continue, i will assess my progress and build new monthly goals depending on my current progress levels. I’m really excited to be doing this and sharing this journey with everyone. The biggest thing about why I made this blog the way I did was to keep myself accountable for my goals and that is exactly what I plan on doing; reaching my goals!

I so deeply appreciate the encouragement and support you all show me on a consistent basis! It means so much to have this community to keep me accountable and just help keep me on track with my goals but also remind me to be kind to myself! You guys are absolutely amazing <3

Im gonna post a combined daily update for today and yesterday later tonight!

Til next time, lovelies 🩷🤍

***also, wanted to mention, none of the pictures I use are my own!!! I get them from Pinterest but I use them in my posts to keep me motivated to make my space and aesthetic in real life as similar as possible!

Current Japanese Study Routine + Resources 🎀

As you all may know, I am currently self studying Japanese and Spanish, though I am putting Spanish on the back burner for now so I can focus more on Japanese as that is where my passion lies at the moment. Lucky for me, there is a Japanese language and culture club on my university campus that I am (hopefully) going to join next week or the week after, given how busy my schedule ends up being. I thought I’d make a little post about my current routine that I use to study and what resources I am currently using and am planning on purchasing to use in order to build my proficiency in this beautiful language!

Current Resources 🩷

Apps - I am currently playing around with several apps to see which ones work for me, so here is all the apps I currently have downloaded to my iPad/phone

Duolingo - this has been a go to for all language I’ve ever tried to learn, it’s useful for me as a basic introduction to vocabulary, sentence structure, some grammar, and I just like how it involves typing, speaking, listening, and reading.

Drops - this one is just a fun little 5 minutes gamified way to learn vocabulary for me, it’s definitely a go to on my lazier language learning days

Bunpo - I like this for learning the kana but I didn’t realize it costs money to use fully so I am debating purchasing a subscription to the paid version

Write Japanese - this one I’m using to learn the correct stroke order for the kana and I like it for the most part

Renshuu - I just signed in to use this one last night and it looks interesting. I’ve seen it recommended by several blogs and even when google searching language learning and watching YouTube videos so I’m excited to try it out!

NHK for School - I saw someone recommend this on their blog and I remember using the website version in the past so I know this will be helpful when it comes to reading

Jisho - this is a dictionary app that I’ve seen recommended on so many platforms and I’m always open to a good dictionary!

Japanese - this one was recommended on a blog post and it allows you to add vocabulary and interesting phrases so I thought it’d be useful once I start on learning sentence structure and grammar

Italki - this one is the one I’m most excited to use. It connects you to people who speak and teach your target language for a set timed lesson, and it does cost money but you pay by lesson, not on a subscription basis. So if you do one lesson the first week and then another lesson in three weeks or something, you only pay for those two lessons. I’m really looking forward to trying this one out in the future once I get more comfortable with speaking.

Anki - a flash card app I am using to currently learn hiragana and will soon use for katakana and eventually kanji and phrases. I was gonna use Quizlet but I ended up liking this one better for my current needs.

LingoDeer, Memrise, Babbel, HiNative, HelloTalk, Hey Japan, Busuu, Kanji, Kana, Sensei - apps that I have and have not tried yet. I really like the ones I’ve already tried so I’m not sure if I’m going to use these ones soon but if I get bored of current apps than I at least have alternatives to turn to to continue learning

Textbooks/Workbooks/Materials - I currently own two workbooks but will include the resource I am planning on buying, as well as any stationery material I am also using!

Japanese for Busy People I - This was the workbook we had for the Japanese class I took at my university while in high school. My dad ended up buying it for me if I promised not to take Japanese classes once I went to college. (My parents don’t believe it is useful to know and they are helping pay for my education so I didn’t have a choice.) I haven’t started reusing it yet but once I am comfortable with the kana then I will resume using it.

Let’s Learn Katakana - this is a katakana writing book my older brother bought for me (he is supportive of everything I have an interest in even if he doesn’t understand it himself) and it is really useful for learning and practicing writing katakana. However I am still focusing on relearning hiragana so I will return to this workbook after I solidify my hiragana knowledge.

Genki I and Genki II textbook/workbook + answer key bundle - I am planning to buy this off of Amazon as I have heard from most people who are learning Japanese on their own that this set is really useful for self studying so of course I am going to invest in it once I get paid next week.

I am also looking for a hiragana, katakana, and kanji writing workbook to practice those skills.

Free Online Resources -

YouTube!

Anime!

Music

Manga

Anything free I can find online when google searching resources

Stationary Supplies -

Kokuyo Campus Smart Ring Binder in pink

Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens in black

Index cards

Pilot g-2 fashion pens

Zebra mild liner highlighter/markers

Papermate Mechanical Pencils

Mini notebook to carry around for vocabulary

My iPad + Apple Pencil + Goodnotes 5

My Chromebook

A lot of resources but I am trying to stick with this for the long term. A few years ago, I self studied Japanese everyday for about 2 years and gained a good understanding but fell off from studying Japanese when I went to university.

My Current Study Routine* 🎀

*when I have more than 30 minutes to study, if I only have 30 minutes or less I just mess around on my language apps

I currently do not use any workbooks or textbooks as I am trying to re familiarize myself with the language. Here’s my current study routine!

Practice Anki flashcards 3 times or until I get 85-90% correct

Practice hiragana writing in Write Japanese app (~10min)

Duolingo lessons for 10 minutes

1 Japanese language Drops lesson

Use Renshuu until I get bored (~10-15min)

Watch an episode of anime as a reward (Japanese audio with English subtitles)

I will switch this up to a more structured way of studying once I start using my textbooks and workbooks, but for now this relaxed style of learning is working for me time wise and attention wise (ADHD brain right here).

I also listen to Japanese music throughout the day and try to recall hiragana characters correctly in my head when I have the time. I also sneak in some practice when at work on my apps and whatnot. I mentioned in my last daily check in some of my favorite Japanese artists, and I also love Japanese versions of K-pop songs too! I’m currently watching Bungou Stray Dogs on crunchyroll right now, and I’m open to any recommendations for what to watch next!

If anyone has any language learning tips or resources they’d want to share, feel free to comment! It would be greatly appreciated!

Til next time my lovelies 🩷🤍

General Language Learning Tips

I’ve tried learning a few languages (Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean and a bit of Mandarin) by self study and class study. Here’s what I’ve worked out does and doesn’t work for me. Take it with a pinch of salt!

1) Learn grammar, but don’t sweat it too much. There’s a debate about whether to ignore grammar completely and pick it up, or whether to rigourously study it. Do what you want, but in my experience, learning the concept, then constant application is best.

For example: Learn a new structure, make your own example sentences and then get a native speaker to check them. You’ll end up hearing the grammar too, which can be helpful

I tried the “just pick it up method” for Spanish and French, and it kind of worked, but I made a ton of mistakes with grammar and couldn’t work out how to correct them until I actually learned the concept

2) Don’t just use flashcards for vocabulary learning. They are a great tool, but not alone. Application again is really useful. For example, go through a deck on Quizlet and learn the words. Once you’re sure you’ve memorised them, look at the translation in your native language and write example sentences with those words in your target language, and again check them with a native speaker. This method could also pair with your grammar studies. This is just a recommendation, but try and find a way to apply the vocab.

3) For getting native speakers to correct you, there isn’t always a native or advanced speaker at your disposal. Apps like HiNative or a language exchange app like Tandem is good for this.

4) It’s so easy to get discouraged when you watch a TV show and you struggle to understand, or you read a book and don’t understand every other word. With harder sources, be a little lighter on yourself. Put on subtitles in your target language, or look up every word you don’t understand, then re-read the passage, glancing back at your vocab list. Eventually it will get easier as long as you keep doing it

5) Another way to learn vocabulary is to just look up words that you can’t translate as you come across them. This is how I learn the majority of my Italian vocabulary. I read an article or a text, and I annotate words I don’t know with the translation, then read over the text again. I don’t review the words, I just look them up again if I don’t recognise them the next time I see them. This is great for when you feel lazier or not in the mood to memorise. I used this method with Japanese song lyrics too, and it even helped me with Japanese sentence structure

6) Output>Input. Speak and write whenever you can. Speak to yourself, write a diary, write with a language exchange partner, repeat phrases you hear watching TV.

7) ^^ That being said, give yourself as much input as possible. Listening to music is my favourite method for this, but I’ve started watching a series in Spanish and Italian, which I recommend for intermediate learners. Reading books is also good for intermediate learners. Beginners, I recommend music and children’s books, but still check out stuff for intermediate learners if you wish.

8) When you hit a stump with grammar or vocabulary, or you feel like you can’t speak at all, target that for however long you can. Repetition of phrases and methods should help you. Check different sources for different explanations or a different method. If that really doesn’t work, revisit it in a week or so.

That’s all I can offer. Please message me if have any questions or queries, and I’ll happily answer!