Language Trainers Blog

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!

During my travels abroad, I have immersed myself in many different cultures, dined on unique and exquisite foods, enjoyed meeting people of different ethnicities, and shared a global hate for all things to do with fanny packs! Fanny packs are the bane of my existence in the world of travel. In case you’re not familiar with said item, here is the official definition:

Fanny pack: a small zippered pouch suspended from a belt around the waist.

Fanny packs were once acclaimed as a helpful security measure for travelers, offering protection for passports and money. Thieves were deterred because the packs weren’t easy to pull and run off with. (I personally believe thieves were deterred because of their ugliness) Also, travelers found an ease in accessibility for their money or personal items during trips.

Unfortunately, locals were able to spot a tourist from miles away because of their fanny pack fashion choice.

My most memorable experience of fanny pack shunning was in Spain. As I walked down Las Ramblas in Barcelona, a group of teenagers began laughing hilariously at a few old timers walking down the Boulevard. Immediately I knew why: fanny packs. Some of the teens even yelled “riñoneras tontos,” the Spanish words for silly fanny packs, as they pointed to the group of seniors. Luckily the kids weren’t mean spirited and just wanted to poke fun at the silly waist purses. The seniors never noticed, and walked down the Boulevard confident and proud of their fanny packs. After the Spain incident, I decided to learn how to say fanny pack in different languages along with a few other words: silly, ugly, and hideous. Why don’t you take the fanny pack language challenge and learn how to say it in different languages as well? Click here for more information.

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?

Speaking and understanding different languages can be complex.  Luckily, there are a few words that seem to sounds familiar no matter what language you speak. One of those words is “mom.” So, how many ways can you say mom?

English – Mom

French – Mere

German – Mutter

Spanish – Mamá

Although all are spelled differently, they’re quite similar sounding.

Most languages like French, English, German and Spanish have Latin or Germanic roots. Because of this, some words are very similar in pronunciation and spelling. Language is ever evolving, and as words like “internet” and “computer” become standard for most languages, similarities will continue to arise with other popular words and phrases.

Perhaps taking some English lessons in New York can help you learn more words and phrases similar in other languages.

Did you know many police dogs are given basic training in foreign languages? The animals are usually brought in from different European countries where they received basic training in the country’s native language. Once brought over to the United States, handlers maintain the original commands as well as English ones. Dogs are adept enough to learn several languages for training and usually become familiar with bilingual commands very quickly. Next time you hear a trainer command a police dog in German to “packen” or “fass,” I would stay clear because you may get bitten!

Why not learn a new language to train your own pets at home? Click here for more information.

eBooks written in foreign languages have been selling like hotcakes. Amazon reported a seventy percent rise in eBook sales during 2012 both within the United States and international markets. Foreign language eBooks offer readers the opportunity to read popular books translated in various languages, and often at a lower price than the print version.

Authors gain a wider audience due to accessibility. Notable examples include JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series translated to La Collection Complète des eBooks Harry Potter or Bram Stoker’s Dracula in French. If you would like to challenge yourself and read a foreign language book, why not take French classes in New York to get started.

Look at the Jobs Market

Do you want to earn a bigger salary? Of course you do, we all do. One of the best ways of increasing your earning power is by picking up more skills. One of the skills which could most help you in your career is the knowledge of a second language. Even if you haven’t yet started studying a foreign tongue then a quick look at a careers website should be enough to show you how good an idea this could be in the long term. If you find yourself wondering where to find a great place to take Chinese lessons in Toronto after doing this then the thought of improving your career can be your motivation to go ahead and do it.

Make It Great Fun

Who said that learning a second language had to be dull? There is absolutely no reason for this to be the case. If you would be best motivated by playing games, watching TV shows or doing something else in your new tongue then this is what you should do. We are all driven on by different things and as long as you are learning and having fun this could be all the motivation you need to keep going. By studying with a firm of professional language experts like Language Trainers you can get the basics right without taking any of the fun out the process.

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.