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easiest european languages to learn: Lingo Gaston Dorren, 2015-12-01 Six thousand years. Sixty languages. One “brisk and breezy” whirlwind armchair tour of Europe “bulg[ing] with linguistic trivia” (The Wall Street Journal). Take a trip of the tongue across the continent in this fascinating, hilarious and highly edifying exploration of the many ways and whys of Euro-speaks—its idiosyncrasies, its histories, commonalities, and differences. Most European languages are descended from a single ancestor, a language not unlike Sanskrit known as Proto-Indo-European (or PIE for short), but the continent’s ever-changing borders and cultures have given rise to a linguistic and cultural diversity that is too often forgotten in discussions of Europe as a political entity. Lingo takes us into today’s remote mountain villages of Switzerland, where Romansh is still the lingua franca, to formerly Soviet Belarus, a country whose language was Russified by the Bolsheviks, to Sweden, where up until the 1960s polite speaking conventions required that one never use the word “you.” “In this bubbly linguistic endeavor, journalist and polyglot Dorren thoughtfully walks readers through the weird evolution of languages” (Publishers Weekly), and not just the usual suspects—French, German, Yiddish, irish, and Spanish, Here, too are the esoteric—Manx, Ossetian, Esperanto, Gagauz, and Sami, and that global headache called English. In its sixty bite-sized chapters, Dorret offers quirky and hilarious tidbits of illuminating facts, and also dispels long-held lingual misconceptions (no, Eskimos do not have 100 words for snow). Guaranteed to change the way you think about language, Lingo is a “lively and insightful . . . unique, page-turning book” (Minneapolis Star Tribune). |
easiest european languages to learn: Fluent Forever Gabriel Wyner, 2014-08-05 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • For anyone who wants to learn a foreign language, this is the method that will finally make the words stick. “A brilliant and thoroughly modern guide to learning new languages.”—Gary Marcus, cognitive psychologist and author of the New York Times bestseller Guitar Zero At thirty years old, Gabriel Wyner speaks six languages fluently. He didn’t learn them in school—who does? Rather, he learned them in the past few years, working on his own and practicing on the subway, using simple techniques and free online resources—and here he wants to show others what he’s discovered. Starting with pronunciation, you’ll learn how to rewire your ears and turn foreign sounds into familiar sounds. You’ll retrain your tongue to produce those sounds accurately, using tricks from opera singers and actors. Next, you’ll begin to tackle words, and connect sounds and spellings to imagery rather than translations, which will enable you to think in a foreign language. And with the help of sophisticated spaced-repetition techniques, you’ll be able to memorize hundreds of words a month in minutes every day. This is brain hacking at its most exciting, taking what we know about neuroscience and linguistics and using it to create the most efficient and enjoyable way to learn a foreign language in the spare minutes of your day. |
easiest european languages to learn: The Way of the Linguist Steve Kaufmann, 2005-11 The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey. It is now a cliché that the world is a smaller place. We think nothing of jumping on a plane to travel to another country or continent. The most exotic locations are now destinations for mass tourism. Small business people are dealing across frontiers and language barriers like never before. The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger-tips. English, the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled position as an international medium of communication. But historically periods of cultural and economic domination have never lasted forever. Do we not lose something by relying on the wide spread use of English rather than discovering other languages and cultures? As citizens of this shrunken world, would we not be better off if we were able to speak a few languages other than our own? The answer is obviously yes. Certainly Steve Kaufmann thinks so, and in his busy life as a diplomat and businessman he managed to learn to speak nine languages fluently and observe first hand some of the dominant cultures of Europe and Asia. Why do not more people do the same? In his book The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey, Steve offers some answers. Steve feels anyone can learn a language if they want to. He points out some of the obstacles that hold people back. Drawing on his adventures in Europe and Asia, as a student and businessman, he describes the rewards that come from knowing languages. He relates his evolution as a language learner, abroad and back in his native Canada and explains the kind of attitude that will enable others to achieve second language fluency. Many people have taken on the challenge of language learning but have been frustrated by their lack of success. This book offers detailed advice on the kind of study practices that will achieve language breakthroughs. Steve has developed a language learning system available online at: www.thelinguist.com. |
easiest european languages to learn: The Spanish Love Deception Elena Armas, 2022-02-08 A wedding. A trip to Spain. The most infuriating man. And three days of pretending. Or in other words, a plan that will never work. Catalina Martín, finally, not single. Her family is happy to announce that she will bring her American boyfriend to her sister's wedding. Everyone is invited to come and witness the most magical event of the year. That would certainly be tomorrow's headline in the local newspaper of the small Spanish town I came from. Or the epitaph on my tombstone, seeing the turn my life had taken in the span of a phone call. Four weeks wasn't a lot of time to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic-from NYC and all the way to Spain-for a wedding. Let alone, someone eager to play along with my charade. But that didn't mean I was desperate enough to bring the 6'4 blue eyed pain in my ass standing before me, Aaron Blackford. The man whose main occupation was making my blood boil had just offered himself to be my date. Right after inserting his nose in my business, calling me delusional, and calling himself my best option. See? Outrageous. Aggravating. Blood boiling. And much to my total despair, also right. Which left me with a surly and extra large dilemma in my hands. Was it worth the suffering to bring my colleague and bane of my existence as my fake boyfriend to my sister's wedding? Or was I better off coming clean and facing the consequences of my panic induced lie? Like my abuela would say, que dios nos pille confesados.The Spanish Love Deception is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating. |
easiest european languages to learn: Fluent in 3 Months Benny Lewis, 2014-03-11 Benny Lewis, who speaks over ten languages—all self-taught—runs the largest language-learning blog in the world, Fluent In 3 Months. Lewis is a full-time language hacker, someone who devotes all of his time to finding better, faster, and more efficient ways to learn languages. Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World is a new blueprint for fast language learning. Lewis argues that you don't need a great memory or the language gene to learn a language quickly, and debunks a number of long-held beliefs, such as adults not being as good of language learners as children. |
easiest european languages to learn: What Language Is John McWhorter, 2013-02-12 New York Times bestselling author and renowned linguist, John McWhorter, explores the complicated and fascinating world of languages. From Standard English to Black English; obscure tongues only spoken by a few thousand people in the world to the big ones like Mandarin - What Language Is celebrates the history and curiosities of languages around the world and smashes our assumptions about correct grammar. An eye-opening tour for all language lovers, What Language Is offers a fascinating new perspective on the way humans communicate. From vanishing languages spoken by a few hundred people to major tongues like Chinese, with copious revelations about the hodgepodge nature of English, John McWhorter shows readers how to see and hear languages as a linguist does. Packed with Big Ideas about language alongside wonderful trivia, What Language Is explains how languages across the globe (the Queen's English and Surinam creoles alike) originate, evolve, multiply, and divide. Raising provocative questions about what qualifies as a language (so-called slang does have structured grammar), McWhorter also takes readers on a marvelous journey through time and place-from Persian to the languages of Sri Lanka- to deliver a feast of facts about the wonders of human linguistic expression. |
easiest european languages to learn: The Grammar of Romanian Gabriela Panã Dindelegan, Martin Maiden, 2013-04-25 This book is the first comprehensive grammar in English of present-day standard Romanian. It is an indispensable resource for Romance linguists, from advanced undergraduate level and above. |
easiest european languages to learn: How to Learn a Foreign Language Paul Pimsleur, 2013-10 In this entertaining and groundbreaking book, Dr. Paul Pimsleur, creator of the renowned Pimsleur Method, the world leader in audio-based language learning, shows how anyone can learn to speak a foreign language. If learning a language in high school left you bruised, with a sense that there was no way you can learn another language, How to Learn a Foreign Language will restore your sense of hope. In simple, straightforward terms, Dr. Pimsleur will help you learn grammar (seamlessly), vocabulary, and how to practice pronunciation (and come out sounding like a native). The key is the simplicity and directness of Pimsleur’s approach to a daunting subject, breaking it down piece by piece, demystifying the process along the way. Dr. Pimsleur draws on his own language learning trials and tribulations offering practical advice for overcoming the obstacles so many of us face. Originally published in 1980, How to Learn a Foreign Language is now available on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Pimsleur’s publication of the first of his first audio courses that embodied the concepts and methods found here. It's a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the mind of this amazing pioneer of language learning. |
easiest european languages to learn: ¿Por Qué? 101 Questions About Spanish Judy Hochberg, 2016-10-20 ¿Por qué? 101 Questions about Spanish is for anyone who wants to understand how Spanish really works. Standard textbooks and grammars describe the what of Spanish - its vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and pronunciation - but ¿Por qué? explains the why. Judy Hochberg draws on linguistic principles, Hispanic culture, and language history to answer questions such as: Why are so many Spanish verbs irregular? - Why does Spanish have different ways to say you? - Why is h silent? - Why doesn't Spanish use apostrophes? - Why does Castilian Spanish have the th sound? Packed with information, guidance, and links to further research, ¿Por qué? is an accessible study guide that is suitable for Spanish students, instructors, native speakers, and the general reader. It is a valuable supplementary text for serious students of Spanish at all levels, from beginning to advanced. ¿Por qué? also covers topics usually left to specialized books, including the evolution of Spanish, how children and adults learn Spanish, and the status of languages that co-exist with Spanish, from Catalan to Spanish sign language to the indigenous languages of Latin America. |
easiest european languages to learn: Colloquial Greek Niki Watts, 2015-08-27 Colloquial Greek: The Complete Course for Beginners has been carefully developed by an experienced teacher to provide a step-by-step course to Greeceas it is written and spoken today. Combining a clear, practical and accessible style with a methodical and thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Greek in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required. Colloquial Greek is exceptional; each unit presents a wealth of grammatical points that are reinforced with a wide range of exercises for regular practice. A full answer key, a grammar index and bilingual glossaries can be found at the back as well as useful vocabulary lists throughout. Key features include: A clear, user-friendly format designed to help learners progressively build up their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills Jargon-free, succinct and clearly structured explanations of grammar An extensive range of focused and dynamic supportive exercises Realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of narrative situations Helpful cultural points explaining the customs and features of life in Greece An overview of the sounds of Greek Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Greek is an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in Greek. Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills. |
easiest european languages to learn: The European Language Portfolio David Little, Council of Europe, 2011-01-01 The European Language Portfolio aims to foster the development of learner autonomy, intercultural awareness and plurilingualism. Teachers of particular languages working on their own can use the ELP to promote learner autonomy, but the goals of intercultural awareness and plurilingualism invite us to use the ELP in all foreign language classes at all levels in the school. The guide introduces the language education policy that underpins the ELP, explores the key concepts that it embodies, and explains how to plan, implement and evaluate whole-school ELP projects. The ten case studies published on the project website illustrate various dimensions of ELP use and include practical suggestions and activities for teachers and learners. |
easiest european languages to learn: Easy Language – Plain Language – Easy Language Plus Christiane Maaß, 2020-09-11 This book shows how accessible communication, and especially easy-to-understand languages, should be designed in order to become instruments of inclusion. It examines two well-established easy-to-understand varieties: Easy Language and Plain Language, and shows that they have complementary profiles with respect to four central qualities: comprehensibility, perceptibility, acceptability and stigmatisation potential. The book introduces Easy and Plain Language and provides an outline of their linguistic, sociological and legal profiles: What is the current legal framework of Easy and Plain Language? What do the texts look like? Who are the users? Which other groups are involved in the production and use of Easy and Plain Language offers? Which qualities are a hazard to acceptability and, thus, enhance their stigmatisation potential? The book also proposes another easy-to-understand variety: Easy Language Plus. This variety balances the four qualities and is modelled in the present book. |
easiest european languages to learn: Simplified Swahili Peter Wilson, 1991 |
easiest european languages to learn: Language Daniel L. Everett, 2012-03-13 A bold and provocative study that presents language not as an innate component of the brain—as most linguists do—but as an essential tool unique to each culture worldwide. For years, the prevailing opinion among academics has been that language is embedded in our genes, existing as an innate and instinctual part of us. But linguist Daniel Everett argues that, like other tools, language was invented by humans and can be reinvented or lost. He shows how the evolution of different language forms—that is, different grammar—reflects how language is influenced by human societies and experiences, and how it expresses their great variety. For example, the Amazonian Pirahã put words together in ways that violate our long-held under-standing of how language works, and Pirahã grammar expresses complex ideas very differently than English grammar does. Drawing on the Wari’ language of Brazil, Everett explains that speakers of all languages, in constructing their stories, omit things that all members of the culture understand. In addition, Everett discusses how some cultures can get by without words for numbers or counting, without verbs for “to say” or “to give,” illustrating how the very nature of what’s important in a language is culturally determined. Combining anthropology, primatology, computer science, philosophy, linguistics, psychology, and his own pioneering—and adventurous—research with the Amazonian Pirahã, and using insights from many different languages and cultures, Everett gives us an unprecedented elucidation of this society-defined nature of language. In doing so, he also gives us a new understanding of how we think and who we are. |
easiest european languages to learn: Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue John McWhorter, 2009-10-27 A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar Why do we say “I am reading a catalog” instead of “I read a catalog”? Why do we say “do” at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Language distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history. Covering such turning points as the little-known Celtic and Welsh influences on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all during the fifth century ad, John McWhorter narrates this colorful evolution with vigor. Drawing on revolutionary genetic and linguistic research as well as a cache of remarkable trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue ultimately demonstrates the arbitrary, maddening nature of English— and its ironic simplicity due to its role as a streamlined lingua franca during the early formation of Britain. This is the book that language aficionados worldwide have been waiting for (and no, it’s not a sin to end a sentence with a preposition). |
easiest european languages to learn: Babel Gaston Dorren, 2018-12-04 “Babel is an endlessly interesting book, and you don’t have to have any linguistic training to enjoy it . . . it’s just so much fun to read.” —NPR English is the world language, except that 80 percent of the world doesn’t speak it. Linguist Gaston Dorren calculates that to speak fluently with half of the world’s people in their mother tongues, you’d need to know no fewer than twenty languages. In Babel, he sets out to explore these top twenty world languages, which range from the familiar (French, Spanish) to the surprising (Malay, Javanese, Bengali). Whisking readers along on a delightful journey, he traces how these languages rose to greatness while others fell away, and shows how speakers today handle the foibles of their mother tongues. Whether showcasing tongue-tying phonetics, elegant but complicated writing scripts, or mind-bending quirks of grammar, Babel vividly illustrates that mother tongues are like nations: each has its own customs and beliefs that seem as self-evident to those born into it as they are surprising to outsiders. Babel reveals why modern Turks can’t read books that are a mere 75 years old, what it means in practice for Russian and English to be relatives, and how Japanese developed separate “dialects” for men and women. Dorren also shares his experiences studying Vietnamese in Hanoi, debunks ten myths about Chinese characters, and discovers the region where Swahili became the lingua franca. Witty and utterly fascinating, Babel will change how you look at and listen to the world. “Word nerds of every strain will enjoy this wildly entertaining linguistic study.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) |
easiest european languages to learn: The Romance Languages Rebecca Posner, 1996-09-05 What is a Romance language? How is one Romance language related to others? How did they all evolve? And what can they tell us about language in general? In this comprehensive survey Rebecca Posner, a distinguished Romance specialist, examines this group of languages from a wide variety of perspectives. Her analysis combines philological expertise with insights drawn from modern theoretical linguistics, both synchronic and diachronic. She relates linguistic features to historical and sociological factors, and teases out those elements which can be attributed to divergence from a common source and those which indicate convergence towards a common aim. Her discussion is extensively illustrated with new and original data, and an up-to-date and comprehensive bibliography is included. This volume will be an invaluable and authoritative guide for students and specialists alike. |
easiest european languages to learn: Learn French: Must-Know French Slang Words & Phrases Innovative Language Learning, FrenchPod101.com, 2019-04-29 Do you want to learn French the fast, fun and easy way? And do you want to master daily conversations and speak like a native? Then this is the book for you. Learn French: Must-Know French Slang Words & Phrases by FrenchPod101 is designed for Beginner-level learners. You learn the top 100 must-know slang words and phrases that are used in everyday speech. All were hand-picked by our team of French teachers and experts. Here’s how the lessons work: • Every Lesson is Based on a Theme • You Learn Slang Words or Phrases Related to That Theme • Check the Translation & Explanation on How to Use Each One And by the end, you will have mastered 100+ French Slang Words & phrases! |
easiest european languages to learn: Indo-European Cognate Dictionary , 2018 A dictionary of cognate words in 32 Indo-European languages. |
easiest european languages to learn: Linguistic Simplicity and Complexity John H. McWhorter, 2011 This series offers a wide forum for work on contact linguistics, using an integrated approach to both diachronic and synchronic manifestations of contact, ranging from social and individual aspects to structural-typological issues. Topics covered by the series include child and adult bilingualism and multilingualism, contact languages, borrowing and contact-induced typological change, code switching in conversation, societal multilingualism, bilingual language processing, and various other topics related to language contact. The series does not have a fixed theoretical orientation, and includes contributions from a variety of approaches. |
easiest european languages to learn: Hacking Chinese Olle Linge, 2016-03-26 Learning Chinese can be frustrating and difficult, partly because it's very different from European languages. Following a teacher, textbook or language course is not enough. They show you the characters, words and grammar you need to become proficient in Chinese, but they don't teach you how to learn them! Regardless of what program you're in (if any), you need to take responsibility for your own learning. If you don't, you will miss many important things that aren't included in the course you're taking. If you study on your own, you need to be even more aware of what you need to do, what you're doing at the moment and the difference between them. Here are some of the questions I have asked and have since been asked many times by students: How do I learn characters efficiently? How do I get the most out of my course or teacher? Which are the best learning tools and resources? How can I become fluent in Mandarin? How can I improve my pronunciation? How do I learn successfully on my own? How can I motivate myself to study more? How can I fit learning Chinese into a busy schedule? The answers I've found to these questions and many others form the core of this book. It took eight years of learning, researching, teaching and writing to figure these things out. Not everybody has the time to do that! I can't go back in time and help myself learn in a better way, but I can help you! This book is meant for normal students and independent language learners alike. While it covers all major areas of learning, you won't learn Chinese just by reading this book. It's like when someone on TV teaches you how to cook: you won't get to eat the delicious dish just by watching the program; you have to do the cooking yourself. That's true for this book as well. When you apply what you learn, it will boost your learning, making every hour you spend count for more, but you still have to do the learning yourself. This is what a few readers have said about the book: The book had me nodding at a heap of things I'd learnt the hard way, wishing I knew them when I started, as well as highlighting areas that I'm currently missing in my study. - Geoff van der Meer, VP engineering This publication is like a bible for anyone serious about Chinese proficiency. It's easy for anyone to read and written with scientific precision. - Zachary Danz, foreign teacher, children's theatre artist About me I started learning Chinese when I was 23 (that's more than eight years ago now) and have since studied in many different situations, including serious immersion programs abroad, high-intensity programs in Sweden, online courses, as well as on the side while working or studying other things. I have also successfully used my Chinese in a graduate program for teaching Chinese as a second language, taught entirely in Chinese mostly for native speakers (the Graduate Institute for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at National Taiwan Normal University). All these parts have contributed to my website, Hacking Chinese, where I write regularly about how to learn Mandarin. |
easiest european languages to learn: A grammar of modern Indo-European Carlos Quiles, Kárlos Kūriákī, Fernando López-Menchero, 2011-05-03 A Grammar of Modern Indo-European is a complete reference guide to a living Indo-European language. It contains a comprehensive description of Proto-Indo-European grammar, and offers an analysis of the complexities of the prehistoric language and its reconstruction from its descendant languages. Written in a fresh and accessible style, and illustrated with maps, figures and tables, this book focusses on the real patterns of use of Late Indo-European. The book is well organised and is filled with full, clear explanations of areas of confusion and difficulty. It also contains an extensive English - Indo-European, Indo-European - English vocabulary, as well as detailed etymological notes, designed to provide readers with an easy access to the information they require.An essential reference source for the student of Indo-European as a learned and living language, this work will appeal to students of languages, classics, and the ancient world, as well as to general readers interested in the history of language, and in speaking the direct ancestor of the world's largest language family. |
easiest european languages to learn: 100 Easy Ukrainian Texts Yuliia Pozniak, 2017-01-28 100 texts with contemporary vocabulary, 60 minutes of audio online. Helps not just to learn the words, but to use them. - This book is for beginners (A1-A2 levels).- The excellent quality audios for all the texts are recorded in the professional recording studio and read by a native speaker are available online. The link is inside the book.- The most useful words in the different contexts.- Suitable for both self-study and class use as an additional material.- All the words in the book have stress marks!Inside you'll find the following topics:1) My Family and I2) My Things3) Interests and Activities4) My House5) My City6) Food7) Clothing and Weather8) Daily Affairs9) Appearance and Character10) Transport and TravelThis book has been carefully created by a Ukrainian language teacher Yuliia Pozniak. |
easiest european languages to learn: A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic Hans Wehr, 1979 An enlarged and improved version of Arabisches Wèorterbuch fèur die Schriftsprache der Gegenwart by Hans Wehr and includes the contents of the Supplement zum Arabischen Wèorterbuch fèur die Schriftsprache der Gegenwart and a collection of new additional material (about 13.000 entries) by the same author. |
easiest european languages to learn: How Vocabulary is Learned Stuart Webb, Paul Nation, 2017-06-06 This guide to vocabulary acquisition is essential reading for teachers of English as a second or foreign language. It presents the major ideas and principles that relate to the teaching and learning of vocabulary and evaluates a wide range of practical activities designed to help boost students’ vocabulary acquisition. Key questions which are answered include: • How many words should students learn at a time, and how often? • How much classroom time should be spent teaching vocabulary? • What is the best way to group vocabulary for learning? • Is it useful to provide students with the L1 translations of unknown words? • Why do some students make greater progress than others? stuart webb is Professor in Applied Linguistics at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. paul nation is Emeritus Professor in Applied Linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Teachers will find answers to many of their perennial questions about vocabulary learning—as well as some they had not yet thought to ask! There is research evidence to support established practices, but also new evidence that challenges old ideas. patsy lightbown (co-author of How Languages are Learned, with Nina Spada) |
easiest european languages to learn: The Loom of Language Frederick Bodmer, 1985 Here is an informative introduction to language: its origins in the past, its growth through history, and its present use for communication between peoples. It is at the same time a history of language, a guide to foreign tongues, and a method for learning them. It shows, through basic vocabularies, family resemblances of languages -- Teutonic, Romance, Greek -- helpful tricks of translation, key combinations of roots and phonetic patterns. It presents by common-sense methods the most helpful approach to the mastery of many languages; it condenses vocabulary to a minimum of essential words; it simplifies grammar in an entirely new way; and it teaches a language as it is actually used in everyday life. |
easiest european languages to learn: The 4-Hour Work Week Timothy Ferriss, 2007 Offers techniques and strategies for increasing income while cutting work time in half, and includes advice for leading a more fulfilling life. |
easiest european languages to learn: Learn Hungarian Zoltán Bánhidi, Zoltán Jókay, Dénes Szabó, 1965 |
easiest european languages to learn: German Quickly April Wilson, 1993 German Quickly: A Grammar for Reading German is a thorough, straightforward textbook with a sense of fun. It teaches the fundamentals for reading German literary and scholarly texts of all levels and difficulty. It can be used as an introductory text for students with no background in German, or it can serve as a reference text for students wishing to review German. The grammar explanations are detailed and clear, and the accompanying reading selections, consisting partly of aphorisms and proverbs, are intriguing. There are also many informative appendices, including a summary of German grammar, a detailed description of German dictionaries currently available, and a vocabulary list of 3200 words that are commonly encountered in scholarly writings. |
easiest european languages to learn: Constructions in French Myriam Bouveret, Dominique Legallois, 2012-12-19 The book Constructions in French is the first collected volume to focus on French syntax from a constructionist perspective. It has been written with two kinds of readers in mind: for readers interested in the relationship between the French linguistic tradition and cognitive linguistics, and for readers who would like to examine how constructional analysis can be applied to a variety of French language phenomena. The eleven papers illustrate the insights generated by combining lexicalist and constructionist approaches, focusing on syntax as a dynamic system and using corpus data from a variety of speech genres. The contributions provide new findings about French usage trends (in linguistics and in psycholinguistics), including insights into new, nonstandard and poorly studied constructions. |
easiest european languages to learn: Comparative Grammar of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French Mikhail Petrunin, 2018-06-25 Nowadays thousands of grammar books, textbooks, outlines, references and language guides of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French are published year by year. However, all of them teach these languages separately. Here you will find a comparative grammar of the four major Romance languages together based on their grammatical and lexical similarities for you, lovers of foreign languages, to learn and compare Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French simultaneously. It is an audacious endeavor to find or create a novel way of learning to speak several languages and becoming a multilingual person. It took me over 3 years to finish the book. It consists of over 800 pages, 10 chapters covering all the grammatical aspects of these 4 languages. It includes over 1000 examples, 500 easy-to-follow charts and tables. It contains 138 geographical, historical and cultural facts about Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French countries.Below I will discuss several reasons why I decided to write this book and why you need it.1) First of all, this book is written for readers like you who are fond of or would like to learn Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French simultaneously or just to get an all-round knowledge of all these four Romance languages. It is designed not only for beginners who do not have an extensive knowledge of grammar, yet need a guide through the grammatical concepts of all mentioned above languages, but also intermediate and advanced students who would like to have a reference book ofseveral Romance languages at once.2) Second of all I spent many years learning these languages separately, which was a complete waste of time before I realized it. This book will hopefully save you a great deal of time and allow you to study and compare at a glance the four main Neo-Latin languages.3) Knowledge of foreign languages is fast becoming a necessary requirement for those who are involved in international business, tourism, culture and education. This book offers you four languages to learn, which will make you feel at homewherever you go, whether as a tourist or businessman.4) Learning several languages simultaneously or one by one will train and strengthen your memory and can help stave off such terrible diseases as Alzheimer's.5) If you have never studied several languages at once before and you like challenges, then you should definitely try it. Because it is a really entertaining and challenging task to do.In conclusion, I would like to sincerely thank you for preordering the book and your interest in it. I hope it will help youimprove your languages and become multilingual. |
easiest european languages to learn: Learn Japanese: Must-Know Japanese Slang Words & Phrases Innovative Language Learning, JapanesePod101.com, Do you want to learn Japanese the fast, fun and easy way? And do you want to master daily conversations and speak like a native? Then this is the book for you. Learn Japanese: Must-Know Japanese Slang Words & Phrases by JapanesePod101 is designed for Beginner-level learners. You learn the top 100 must-know slang words and phrases that are used in everyday speech. All were hand-picked by our team of Japanese teachers and experts. Here’s how the lessons work: • Every Lesson is Based on a Theme • You Learn Slang Words or Phrases Related to That Theme • Check the Translation & Explanation on How to Use Each One And by the end, you will have mastered 100+ Japanese Slang Words & phrases! |
easiest european languages to learn: The Indonesian Language James N. Sneddon, 2003 This book, the first of its kind, is a historical, social, cultural and linguistic study of Indonesian. It traces the origins and pre-colonial development of the language, the emergence of Classical Malay from the fourteenth century, the choice of Malay by the nationalist movement as the national language prior to independence, the planning associated with the adoption and implementation of the language, its borrowings from other language, its use in contemporary Indonesia and its future. The book challenges many assumptions about Indonesian, particularly countering the myth that Indonesian is a simple language.--BOOK JACKET. |
easiest european languages to learn: Basic Polish Dana Bielec, 2001 Building confidence in the use of the modern Polish language, this text presents concise explanations of Polish grammar with related exercises, and includes a full answer key as well as a Polish-English glossary. |
easiest european languages to learn: Gwynne's Latin Nevile Gwynne, 2014-04-10 ‘Latin is it, the most wonderful thing. It is mind-enhancing, character-improving, enthralling, exciting, deeply satisfying, and valuable. My solid determination is to spare no pains to do it the justice that its importance demands.’ Mr Gwynne, author of the Sunday Times bestselling phenomenon Gwynne’s Grammar, is just as emphatic about the importance of Latin as he is about the importance of grammar. From the novice to the more well-versed, Gwynne’s Latin is essential for anyone interested in learning Latin; Mr Gwynne promises to teach you more Latin in half an hour than you would learn from years of being taught Latin at school. He also includes a fascinating section on everyday Latin usage, which discusses all the Latin words and idioms we still use today, such as ‘quid pro quo’ and ‘sui generis’. Though we need no further convincing – as we know, Mr Gwynne is never wrong – here are just some of the many reasons why Latin is utterly wonderful: - Latin is an academic subject easy enough for the least intelligent of us to grasp all the basic elements of, and yet difficult enough to be demanding for its greatest scholars. - For well over a thousand years it was the means of communication that united the whole of Europe culturally and in every other significant way. - It is the direct ancestor of, between them, the five most widely-spoken European languages, and both of the official South American languages. - It is the ancestor and source of more than half of the English language, partly directly and partly through French, which for some centuries was England’s official language. Following in the same beautifully designed footsteps of Gwynne’s Grammar, Gwynne’s Latin will teach you all the fundamentals of Latin quickly, thoroughly and better than all the competition. |
easiest european languages to learn: Programming Phoenix Chris McCord, Bruce Tate, Jose Valim, 2016-04-20 Don't accept the compromise between fast and beautiful: you can have it all. Phoenix creator Chris McCord, Elixir creator Jose Valim, and award-winning author Bruce Tate walk you through building an application that's fast and reliable. At every step, you'll learn from the Phoenix creators not just what to do, but why. Packed with insider insights, this definitive guide will be your constant companion in your journey from Phoenix novice to expert, as you build the next generation of web applications. Phoenix is the long-awaited web framework based on Elixir, the highly concurrent language that combines a beautiful syntax with rich metaprogramming. The authors, who developed the earliest production Phoenix applications, will show you how to create code that's easier to write, test, understand, and maintain. The best way to learn Phoenix is to code, and you'll get to attack some interesting problems. Start working with controllers, views, and templates within the first few pages. Build an in-memory repository, and then back it with an Ecto database layer. Learn to use change sets and constraints that keep readers informed and your database integrity intact. Craft your own interactive application based on the channels API for the real-time, high-performance applications that this ecosystem made famous. Write your own authentication components called plugs, and even learn to use the OTP layer for monitored, reliable services. Organize your code with umbrella projects so you can keep your applications modular and easy to maintain. This is a book by developers and for developers, and we know how to help you ramp up quickly. Any book can tell you what to do. When you've finished this one, you'll also know why to do it. What You Need: To work through this book, you will need a computer capable of running Erlang 17 or better, Elixir 1.1, or better, Phoenix 1.0 or better, and Ecto 1.0 or better. A rudimentary knowledge of Elixir is also highly recommended. |
easiest european languages to learn: The Navajo Verb Leonard M. Faltz, 1998 For the first time, students and scholars interested in the Navajo language have a book that presents the verb system in a step-by-step and thorough fashion. By providing easy-to-follow descriptions with abundant examples, this book unravels the complexity of Navajo and reveals its expressiveness. |
easiest european languages to learn: Language Interrupted John McWhorter, 2007-06-18 Foreigners often say that English language is easy. A language like Spanish is challenging in its variety of verb endings (the verb speak is conjugated hablo, hablas, hablamos), and gender for nouns, whereas English is more straight forward (I speak, you speak, we speak). But linguists generally swat down claims that certain languages are easier than others, since it is assumed all languages are complex to the same degree. For example, they will point to English's use of the word do -- Do you know French? This usage is counter-intuitive and difficult for non-native speakers. Linguist John McWhorter agrees that all languages are complex, but questions whether or not they are all equally complex. The topic of complexity has become a hot issue in recent years, particularly in creole studies, historical linguistics, and language contact. As McWhorter describes, when languages came into contact over the years (when French speakers ruled the English for a few centuries, or the vikings invaded England), a large number of speakers are forced to learn a new language quickly, and this came up with a simplified version, a pidgin. When this ultimately turns into a real language, a creole, the result is still simpler and less complex than a non-interrupted language that has been around for a long time. McWhorter makes the case that this kind of simplification happens in degrees, and criticizes linguists who are reluctant to say that, for example, English is simply simpler than Spanish for socio-historical reasons. He analyzes how various languages that seem simple but are not creoles, actually are simpler than they would be if they had not been broken down by large numbers of adult learners. In addition to English, he looks at Mandarin Chinese, Persian, Malay, and some Arabic varieties. His work will interest not just experts in creole studies and historical linguistics, but the wider community interested in language complexity. |
easiest european languages to learn: How to develop a perfect memory Dominic O'Brien, |
easiest european languages to learn: Kill The French: 100 Stories in French Written with Transparent Words Vincent Serrano Guerra, 2021-10-25 A Revolution in Language Learning Did you know that 20,000 French words are nearly identical in English? This book utilizes 1,200 of those words to take you on a journey through the French language with 100 easy-to-follow short stories that build on what you already know! See how much French you already know Le train arrive dans six minutes à la station Opéra J'invite mes parents et mes cousins à dîner au restaurant Le journaliste interview le président de la République française Hack Your Learning Kill the French is strategically designed to help you learn French faster and easier than ever before. The stories begin with dialogues that even people with zero French experience can understand. In just 100 days, you'll add 1,600 new French words to your vocabulary, become comfortable with French tenses (past, present, & future), and quickly improve your understanding of the language. Key Features 100 dialogues in French - Enjoy fun stories about topics like how to give your first kiss, build a nuclear bomb, or even zombie attacks! Learn 60% of the language - Use the pareto effect to acquire 60% of the French language just by learning the 500 hundred most common words. Smart repetition - To optimize learning, every new word is repeated following a decreasing algorithm at day + 1, day + 3, day + 6. 1,200 transparent words - The amazing crossover between the two languages means that you can learn hundreds of words instantly! |
Easiest European Languages To Learn (book)
languages and dialects Combining linguistics and cultural history Gaston Dorren takes us on an intriguing tour of the continent from Proto Indo European the common ancestor of most …
Colloquial Italian: The Complete Course for Beginners
The language is arguably the easiest European language for English speakers to learn. The pronunciation seems easier than French for English speakers, the grammar less tricky than …
Easiest European Languages To Learn - origin-impurities.waters
easiest european languages to learn: Fluent Forever Gabriel Wyner, 2014-08-05 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • For anyone who wants to learn a foreign language, this is the method that will …
The Easiest Language proven by scientific studies and practice.
The easiest language can be learned in 1/10 to ¼ the time than it takes to learn English and other languages. The easiest language is most often self taught by learners around the world and is …
Lingo A Language Spotter S Guide To Europe Englis Full PDF
the Channel Islands and why Finnish is the easiest European language. Surprising, witty and full of extraordinary facts, this book will change the way you think about the languages around you.
Top Ten Easiest Languages To Learn (book) - admin.sccr.gov.ng
never before The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger tips English the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled …
Top 10 Easiest Languages (PDF) - omn.am
as a reference but easily applicable to any other European language Key Features Benefits of How to Learn Any Language in 10 Steps Tailored Method Our step by step approach is …
Languages in Europe
Here’s how to say “Good morning” or “Hello” in just a dozen of these languages. In the language of the Roma people, who live in many parts of Europe, ‘Good morning’ is Lasho dyes. Learning …
A field guide to the main languages of Europe
Language learning helps us to discover the culture and traditions of our neighbours, it opens up new worlds and opportunities - and can be real fun. first step, of course, is recognising the …
Easiest European Languages To Learn (Download Only)
languages and dialects Combining linguistics and cultural history Gaston Dorren takes us on an intriguing tour of the continent from Proto Indo European the common ancestor of most …
How you can learn - ECML
What is more, Europe is a great place to learn languages, with so many language communities and so many cultures living close together. You’re never too old to learn. People often say that …
EUROPEAN LEVELS - SELF ASSESSMENT GRID A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 …
I can read with ease virtually all forms of the written language, including abstract, structurally or linguistically complex texts such as manuals, specialised articles and literary works.
Lingo 10 Languages Translator User Guide
the language of William the Conqueror lives on in the Channel Islands and why Finnish is the easiest European language. Surprising, witty and full of extraordinary facts, this book will …
Lingo A Language Spotter S Guide To Europe Englis
the Channel Islands and why Finnish is the easiest European language. Surprising, witty and full of extraordinary facts, this book will change the way you think about the languages around you.
Easiest European Languages To Learn (book)
languages and dialects Combining linguistics and cultural history Gaston Dorren takes us on an intriguing tour of the continent from Proto Indo European the common ancestor of most …
Most Spoken Language In Europe Copy - omn.am
reference guide to all the languages of Europe covering nearly three hundred languages and language families It focuses on extant languages but includes all languages known to have …
Easiest European Languages To Learn Copy
Easiest European Languages To Learn: Lingo Gaston Dorren,2014-11-06 Welcome to Europe as you ve never known it before seen through the peculiarities of its languages and dialects …
Language policy - European Parliament
As part of its efforts to promote mobility and intercultural understanding, the EU has designated language learning as an important priority, and funds numerous programmes and projects in …
Foreign language learning statistics Statistics Explained
In 2022, 6.5% of primary school pupils in the EU were learning 2 or more foreign languages – see Figure 2. Note that this indicator includes all modern foreign languages, not just the selected …
Easiest European Languages To Learn (book)
languages and dialects Combining linguistics and cultural history Gaston Dorren takes us on an intriguing tour of the continent from Proto Indo European the common ancestor of most …
Colloquial Italian: The Complete Course for Beginners
The language is arguably the easiest European language for English speakers to learn. The pronunciation seems easier than French for English speakers, the grammar less tricky than …
Easiest European Languages To Learn - origin …
easiest european languages to learn: Fluent Forever Gabriel Wyner, 2014-08-05 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • For anyone who wants to learn a foreign language, this is the method that will …
The Easiest Language proven by scientific studies and …
The easiest language can be learned in 1/10 to ¼ the time than it takes to learn English and other languages. The easiest language is most often self taught by learners around the world and is …
Lingo A Language Spotter S Guide To Europe Englis Full PDF
the Channel Islands and why Finnish is the easiest European language. Surprising, witty and full of extraordinary facts, this book will change the way you think about the languages around you.
Top Ten Easiest Languages To Learn (book)
never before The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger tips English the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled …
Top 10 Easiest Languages (PDF) - omn.am
as a reference but easily applicable to any other European language Key Features Benefits of How to Learn Any Language in 10 Steps Tailored Method Our step by step approach is …
Languages in Europe
Here’s how to say “Good morning” or “Hello” in just a dozen of these languages. In the language of the Roma people, who live in many parts of Europe, ‘Good morning’ is Lasho dyes. …
A field guide to the main languages of Europe
Language learning helps us to discover the culture and traditions of our neighbours, it opens up new worlds and opportunities - and can be real fun. first step, of course, is recognising the …
Easiest European Languages To Learn (Download Only)
languages and dialects Combining linguistics and cultural history Gaston Dorren takes us on an intriguing tour of the continent from Proto Indo European the common ancestor of most …
How you can learn - ECML
What is more, Europe is a great place to learn languages, with so many language communities and so many cultures living close together. You’re never too old to learn. People often say that …
EUROPEAN LEVELS - SELF ASSESSMENT GRID A1 A2 B1 B2 …
I can read with ease virtually all forms of the written language, including abstract, structurally or linguistically complex texts such as manuals, specialised articles and literary works.
Lingo 10 Languages Translator User Guide
the language of William the Conqueror lives on in the Channel Islands and why Finnish is the easiest European language. Surprising, witty and full of extraordinary facts, this book will …
Lingo A Language Spotter S Guide To Europe Englis
the Channel Islands and why Finnish is the easiest European language. Surprising, witty and full of extraordinary facts, this book will change the way you think about the languages around you.
Easiest European Languages To Learn (book)
languages and dialects Combining linguistics and cultural history Gaston Dorren takes us on an intriguing tour of the continent from Proto Indo European the common ancestor of most …
Most Spoken Language In Europe Copy - omn.am
reference guide to all the languages of Europe covering nearly three hundred languages and language families It focuses on extant languages but includes all languages known to have …
Easiest European Languages To Learn Copy
Easiest European Languages To Learn: Lingo Gaston Dorren,2014-11-06 Welcome to Europe as you ve never known it before seen through the peculiarities of its languages and dialects …
Language policy - European Parliament
As part of its efforts to promote mobility and intercultural understanding, the EU has designated language learning as an important priority, and funds numerous programmes and projects in …
Foreign language learning statistics Statistics Explained
In 2022, 6.5% of primary school pupils in the EU were learning 2 or more foreign languages – see Figure 2. Note that this indicator includes all modern foreign languages, not just the selected …