Broo Learning A More Obscure Language Is So Hard Because There Is Both So Little And So Much To Work

in an age where machine translation is getting better and better I BEG you to keep learning languages and keep your brain sharp and keep an open mind. learning a language is so much more than memorizing a bunch of words, it opens up ways of seeing the world you hadn't considered before that are inherent to the way things are phrased in another language. it gives you a new lens through which you'll view life. it will make your life fuller, more well-rounded, more fulfilling. please learn languages other than your own.

I love untranslatable words and expressions! Sometimes it turns out so poetic I'm just like "why don't we have that???". But I think also of the old words very specific that we lost during time (hello old English, Latin, ancient Greek and all the old languages) and that makes me like "wow we can use only one word for what and not using a weird several-word-expression".

They make me fall in love with languages again and again

i fucking love foreign languages because while im glad english is my first since its stupid hard to learn, ive heard so many phrases and words in different languages that cant accurately be translated into english. like thats a special unique saying exclusive to that language that there arent words for in english. sometimes its the foulest assemblage of curse words ive ever heard and other times its something so gorgeous im like “you have a word for that???” holy shit. i love languages so much

It's not ignorance but poetry

the weirdest thing about learning a language is not knowing a specific word.

not sure what a puddle is called but i can say little ocean in the road !

i'm cleaning out my notes app and found a classic from when i moved to russia and encountered 10,000 diminutive words i'd never heard before so i had to start writing them down whenever i heard them. i guess the english equivalent would be like adding "-y/ie" (blankie, doggie, froggy) to make it cuter, except this is words like "key" and "soup" and "thank you". hand me glassy put food on platie thankies you

What's the difference between "por siempre" and "para siempre"?

Technically interchangeable, but you typically see/hear para siempre in everyday speech

In this particular case it's not really a por/para difference so much as what's poetic

There are a handful of words/expressions that in Spanish can change based on the intended (often poetic) tone/context - the best example is el mar "sea" which can be la mar feminine in specific settings or expressions

Outside of poetry and song lyrics you're not likely to be seeing/using por siempre

Roughly it's kind of like the difference between "forever" or "always", and then "for always" or "everlasting" or maybe more literally "in perpetuity"

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But again you will not be seeing por siempre in general. You might read it, but you'd rarely if ever say it

more uncommon topics for vocab lists in your target language:

astronomy

mythology

folklore

obsolete professions

specialized medicine

linguistics

history and artifacts

botany

art styles and periods

oceanography

cryptozoology

esoteric hobbies

etymology

logical fallacies

THANK YOU

AND HUNGARIAN IS EASY TOO

TANULJ MAGYARUL

I needed to say this for Hungarian too because people also keep saying it's impossible and too hard

CZECH IS EASY. IT IS LIKE BREATHING. IT IS LIKE LOVING. OH Y/I and Z/S IS IN THE AIR! I DONT MIND. WHAT ELSE IS IN THE AIR? LOVE AND NEVERENDING JOY.

FNĚH

UČ SE ČESKY

❁ Online resources for learning Bengali ❁

I received two private messages asking if I had any resources, and unfortunately there are very few resources that teach Bengali/Bangla online ): but I have gathered some that I found and used, and that are helpful to me! Please comment if you know any others 🤍

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❁YouTube channel for learners

YouTube

Learn Bengali with Baneebee

Trying to learn Bengali language? This online Bengali class is the right place for you to start with. Right from the first lesson you will l

Reading and writing, conversational lessons, book reviews etc. I love this channel so much, it’s how I began learning as a beginner and I wish there were more like it.

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❁Textbooks online

1. https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Linguistics/Mega%20linguistics%20pack/Indo-European/Indo-Aryan/Bengali%2C%20Teach%20Yourself%20%28Hudson%29.pdf

2. https://archive.org/details/bengalicompletec0000radi

You can borrow this one for free, I own a physical copy of a slightly newer version and it’s good!

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❁Websites to watch Bengali movies and serials

1. https://www.hoichoi.tv

There are a few free movies and episodes here, I have the monthly subscription for €9 which gives access to hundreds of shows and films. There is an option to turn off English subtitles and some shows also have Bangla CC which is helpful!

2. https://einthusan.tv/movie/browse/?lang=bengali

Totally free and they have loads of movies with English sub (still waiting for them to upload something after palasher biye though) 

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❁Website for simplified stories

(Thank you very much to my fiancé and his mom for finding this for me <3)

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❁Tumblr blog for learning Bangla @banglanotebook

I love the vocabulary lists and word of the day, really helpful for beginner and intermediate!

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❁Apps that have Bengali courses

(I usually do not recommend studying with apps for languages, but it can be useful as a supplementary method for vocabulary)

1. Mondly (I have finished this course and it’s pretty decent for vocabulary - just as always with apps, don’t expect to learn any grammar properly)

2. Ling

3. Transparent Language (no grammar, only vocabulary but it’s free with library access)

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❁YouTube channel for handwriting

(Aimed at native speakers, but I used this to learn to write after learning to read)

At the moment I’m only posting words I’ve learned myself each day on this blog (see my bangla vocabulary tag) but I may post more lessons in the future! Again please comment if you know any other resources, I would greatly appreciate it 🤍

Most of us who have learned another language end up with the attitude that it's best to read books in the original because some things just don't translate and in a real sense, you never really read a book if you read it in translation. While I generally agree with this attitude, at the same time I think it is unappreciative of the work that translators do.

Yes, there are a lot of bad translations out there, but there are also good translations. Good translation is a skill, and it's an incredible skill given what a good translator has to be able to do. They have to be fluent in not just two languages, but the nuances of two cultures. They have to be able to understand literature. They have to have writing skills on the level of the writer they are translating. If translating classical literature, they have to understand the historical context.

A good translator will include translator notes to try and explain the nuances that get lost in translation, cultural nuances, and historical context if it's classical literature. Yes, this means that they have to teach you a little bit of the language and culture of the original. Therefore, a good translator will give you an appreciation for a language that you hadn't had before.