Language Trainers Blog

German immigrants migrated to Texas in the mid 1800’s, and integrated their culture and language in the generations to follow. Unfortunately, the German language is now dying off with its current generation. As a result of World War One and Two, areas in Texas that taught and conducted business primarily in German switched to the English language. The German dialect quickly fell out of favor, and that caused the language to not be passed on to children of the fifth and sixth generations. Those who spoke German in Texas created a new dialect known as ‘Texas German.’ Texas German is a combination of different influences, often mixing English and different German origins together with a southern twang!

For example:

German: Die Kuh ist über die fence gejumpt.

English: The cow jumped over the fence.

Notice the similarities? The words jump and fence make an appearance in both sentences.

German linguistic professor, Hans Boas, at the University of Texas has been working closely with the last generation of Texas German speakers. The youngest speakers are between the ages of 50 and 60. Hans began the Texas German Dialect Project to preserve what little Texas German is still spoken. He has interviewed over 400 German descendants and recorded about 800 hours of interviews to be archived in the Texas German Dialect Project.

Texas Germans also keep their language alive by partaking in different groups and activities to promote their culture. Some join the local German American Society, try out the neighborhood all German choir or even enjoy some friendly competition with German bowling nights!

Why not join Germans from Texas in preserving their language by trying some German classes?

Our North American neighbor, Canada, is often the butt of American jokes. I’m no better than my countrymen when Canadian relatives visit and their slang evokes pure hilarity. Fortunately, my relatives and most Canadians could care less about American’s poking fun at them. Because French and English are the two official languages, Canada has it’s very own slang:

Here are a few popular slang terms Canadians use:

Aboot: Canada’s pronunciation for the word “about.” - “What’s all your hollering aboot?”

Canuck: a nickname for Canadians. - “I have only love for my fellow Canucks.”

Washroom: bathroom without a bath in the room. -“Excuse me, can I use your washroom?”

Loonie: Canadian dollar coin. As a hilarious accompaniment, Toonie is their two dollar coin. - “Since my cookie cost just one loonie, I decided to purchase a second with a toonie.”

Eh?: you’re a true Canadian when this word is added to the end of a sentence. It means “don’t you agree?” - “Americans are quite crazy, eh?”

Pop: soft drinks like Coke or Pepsi. - “Waitress, I’d like a pop to drink please.”

Hydro: electricity - “No lights today so the hydro is probably off.”

Serviette: napkin - “I spilled a glass of pop all over me, so a serviette would be helpful!”

Most slang originated from Canadians speaking both English and French. In Toronto, a city in the province of Ontario, Canadians fluent in French benefit from the mix of slang terms because those who solely speak English can understand them easier. Why not try some English classes the next time you visit Toronto? Canucks will surely appreciate your ability to understand their slang!

New York is more than my home, it’s a brilliant city of merging cultures often called the world’s melting pot. On the days I don’t have any interest in cooking (which is quite often), my neighborhood offers an abundance of culinary options. As of late, my favorite cuisine has been Spanish food. Spanish food in New York is not only delicious but a medley of rich ingredients shared among Latin Americans in the area.

One of my favorite Spanish dishes is arroz con pollo, which means chicken with rice in English. Although the name seems basic, there is nothing simple about this delicious dish. Arroz con pollo is actually a traditional dish in Latin America from Puerto Rico to Columbia. Its roots originate from Spain as a type of pilaf. Mixtures of rice, chicken, stock, saffron and sofrito along with spices make this dish a complex yet modest meal.

The Spanish restaurant in my neighborhood has an amazing chef who serves up arroz con pollo with fried plantains, better known as tostones in Spanish. The chef became so use to my presence around dinner time, he decided I should start ordering in Spanish if I wanted to eat his food! Luckily for him, my stomach influenced the decision to start learning menu items in Spanish! Now, when I venture over to his restaurant instead of meekly asking for chicken and rice, I yell out “ARROZ CON POLLO por favor (please)!”

Perhaps you should try taking Spanish lessons in New York so you too can try ordering directly from a Spanish menu. Your server and stomach will appreciate the effort!

Lately, I’ve found myself listening to music in foreign languages. Although English is my first language, I’ve never shied away from enjoying music from around the world. Sometimes listening to foreign music soothes my mind a bit easier than listening to an English song.

Why is this? Well for starters, people enjoy listening to tunes in a foreign language because it’s easier to focus on the artists voice and musical instruments. Usually when you listen to music in your own language, your mind focuses on the words rather than the melodic instruments playing or the tones an artist carries in their voice. Some would assume that lyrics need to be understood in order to be enjoyed, but there is actually no truth to that. Many students find it easier to study with foreign music playing in the background because they can enjoy listening passively. While studying, your brain isn’t working to decipher lyrics, instead it’s just enjoying the music playing. So while listening to the music’s core, it’s easy to appreciate the artist’s tone and instruments.

Another benefit of enjoying foreign music is exposing yourself not only to music from different languages but cultures. Often times, you’ll find many similarities between your native music and foreign songs. Language does not limit emotion, and music often carries that sentiment. Listeners are sometimes inspired to learn new languages because of their love for international music. Why not try learning a new language with Language Trainers, and perhaps decipher lyrics to your favorite foreign language song?

During my recent trip to China, I met a few seniors who redefined the terms direct and humorous by asking several personal questions. While strolling through a park in Beijing, a curious group of old timers were eager to strike up a conversation with me.

Here are a few questions they asked:

1. Have you been to Disneyland? 

2. How old are you?

3. Why aren’t you married?

4. How much money do you make?

5. Do you own a gun?

Conversation topics often deemed too personal are actually considered a norm in China. Questions of this nature aren’t intended to be rude or off-putting. Personal questions like these are socially acceptable ways of getting to know people. Try to answer as tactfully as possible and when all else fails, throw in a little humor. The Chinese rarely pursue questions if they feel you are not comfortable discussing it. Luckily, the group of Chinese seniors questioning me was distracted by an impromptu dance performance in the park.

To make your trip easier, why not try Chinese lessons when in Toronto?

Game of Thrones is an epic fantasy series on HBO based off George R.R. Martin books. What’s even cooler than the books being adapted to a television series is the creation of a made-up language called Dothraki. Thanks to the brilliance of David Peterson, a language creator for the Language Creation Society, Dothraki came to life in the Game of Thrones television series.

Dothraki, although a made-up language, has a dictionary with over 3000 words. In the dictionary, readers cannot only learn words but the proper way to form sentences and phrases. This might be quite helpful if you’re trying to pen a Dothraki love poem to someone special or send a unique birthday greeting.

Want to take a try at Dothraki? Here are some popular phrases:

Aena shekhikhi! Good morning!

Asshekhqoyi vezhvena! Happy birthday!

Yer zheanae (sekke). You’re (very) beautiful

So good luck with your Dothraki and please let us know how it goes by adding a comment below. If you fancy a challenge that will actually be useful for you one day (apart from just impressing your friends and yourself), why not try Arabic lessons instead?

Learning a second language is something which should be fun. In fact, you will probably enjoy the process of learning but you may also come across a few low points in which your resolve is tested.

This kind of issue happens to everyone who learns anything new over a long period of time and if you want to keep up the good work then you might want to consider some of the following secret motivation techniques.

Plan a Trip

There are few better incentives for improving your current pace of learning than the thought of a trip to somewhere they speak the tongue you are studying. Can you imagine how good it will feel to chat to the locals and to feel right at home speaking a foreign language in a place where others speak it as their mother tongue? The good news is that it might not even involve a long and costly trip abroad if you don’t want it to. For example, you could practice your Spanish taking classes in Miami! With a bit of imagination you could have a great time and put your lessons into practice without spending a fortune.

Talk More

One of the reasons why we don’t always progress with a second language in the way we would like to is that we don’t always talk enough. This is a vital part of the process but one which can be difficult to start. You might be worried about making a mistake but mistakes are part of the learning process and simply can’t be avoided. At some point you need to pluck up the courage to start talking more. The sooner you do this the better and you will find that working with a native speaking teacher from Language Trainers helps you build up your confidence quickly in this respect. Once you get into the habit of speaking a lot in your second language nothing will stop you from improving your linguistic skills.

Try a Different Approach

If what you are doing isn’t working then it might be time to try something else. This sounds like a fairly obvious piece of reasoning but it is something which can really hold back your progress if you don’t consider it early on enough. Maybe you need to adopt a more hands on approach, for instance. It might be that you are learning on your own with a book or on the internet and need to think about taking at least a few more formal classes to get started. If this is the case then you could get started by asking something like; where can I take Chinese classes in Toronto? You might be surprised to see how easy it is to get classes on just about language in just about any city in North America.

 When they plan to learn a foreign language most people probably don’t fully appreciate that this is the start of a lifetime of learning. One of the great things about studying a second language is that you can carry on picking up new words and phrases while having fun long after you have learned the basics.

However, the hardest part of all may be at the very beginning, when you might get frustrated at what you see to be a lack of progress on your part. If this is the case then here are some tips to see if you can increase your learning speed.

Take a Trip

Ideally, you will have the chance to take a trip somewhere you can speak your new language with the locals. Clearly the language you are studying and where you live are the two factors which are most going to influence whether this is possible or now. Having said that, a bit of lateral thinking might help you come up with interesting solutions even when this appears to be impossible. For example, if you can’t go to Latin America then you could practice your Spanish taking classes in Miami!

When you learn a new language it can make a huge difference to many aspects to your life. The most exciting thing of all is that you won’t know until you do it exactly what will change and in what way. It is like opening a door in your life which leads you off in new and unexpected directions. When it comes to the Spanish language there are a few possible outcomes we could look at here, although these aren’t the only ones.

Make New Friends

If you live in a city with a big Spanish speaking population then you are severely restricted in your number of potential friendships by not knowing the language. Once you pick up the basics you will find that you are keen to talk to some native speakers and expand your conversational skills. You might also see that doing this opens up a whole social circle and trips to cultural events which you have never been aware of before. If there is one piece of advice worth listening to it is to always take Spanish lessons in New York!