All languages, same root

Have you ever wondered where language came from and why some languages are so similar? Well, here's a very good explanation.

Well, this is my simple explanation. The origins of all language today came from the Creator God.

After all, we humans all originated from the family of Noah in the Bible!

Be nice to one another. We are a family after all!

Do you speak Emoji?

A lament among older people is that young people today cannot string together a complete sentence. When asked a question, the young person will reply in a series of grunts and groans, peppered with a few words here and there. No wonder companies still invest heavily in public speaking skills for employees.

Let us now look at the written word. The majority of our communication today is by SMS or short messaging service. Whether you use a messaging app(lication) or conventional SMS, each piece of communication is probably going to be around 140 characters or less (Tweets included). It is bad enough that text language is a whole new field of learning, now we add Emoji, which is defined as:

a small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion in electronic communication.

Contrary to popular belief, Emoji-speak is not the domain of the younger crowd. The people who send me emoticons and stickers are generally over 50 years old! While I do use some icons, I have yet to discover the whole lot of pictures and their meanings. I suppose there are so many puzzled people like me in the world. Hence this online Emoji dictionary!

Has Emoji-speak become a new language? I do not know, neither do I want to speculate.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Emoji could well be the epitome of this idiom! :)

Chinese is an ancient language

The Chinese language is an ancient language. The discovery of Chinese classical literature written on bamboo strips shows that Chinese writing has existed for thousands of years.

Learn an ancient language today! Learn Chinese! Find a suitable package here.

Fun Language Tools

Imitations cannot compare with the real deal

What do fine jewelry and English grammar and spelling have in common? Nothing at all, unless you consider the jewelry craftsman and the writer. Both the craftsman and the writer take pride in their respective pieces of work. They both spend hours labouring over a small piece of jewelry or writing to make it the very best it can be. Hours of practice have paid off to hone their skills. The result is a piece of jewelry or writing that they can be proud of and the world admires.

As far as language goes, communication may be the first step. Once you can communicate decently in a language, you will need to work on your vocabulary and grammar. If you are just starting to learn a language, native speakers of that language will be pleased and excited at your efforts. Bad grammar and poor pronunciation will be excused because you are doing your level best. Encouragement and gentle correction abounds. You may even pat yourself on the back for doing so well for a beginner. As time goes on, if you do not improve very much or decide to rest on your minor achievements, native speakers may still be polite, but they may not be so kind behind your back.

I know many friends who have learned languages to varying levels of proficiency. Some were satisfied at being able to simply communicate and get around in daily life. For them, speaking slowly and being able to read fairly well was good enough. I had one friend who was satisfied at his level of proficiency when he could deliver a simple message from the Bible in that language, albeit at a slow pace that made the locals bored or sleepy. He was rather proud of being able to speak so many languages. In reality, the locals' initial admiration had long turned to a "couldn't care less" attitude towards his shallow achievement.

Other friends put a lot of effort into language learning so that they could communicate just like a local, colloquialisms, proverbs, idioms and all. I salute them. I admire them. They have chosen to hone their skills constantly, not satisfied with where they are now. I did the same myself with Khmer. There is still so much I have yet to learn and understand. Lack of reading and speaking practice has slowed me down considerably. I need to keep up my efforts or risk losing my language ability completely, as I did with Japanese.

Facebook, Twitter and text messaging are no excuse for poor spelling and grammar. If you can code switch (use the correct forms in formal writing and use short forms for text messages), fine. If you can't, get working on mastering correct spelling and grammar. Learning a language is more than just being able to communicate at a basic level, bad grammar, poor pronunciation and all. Learn a language with a goal of communicating in correct pronunciation and grammar. Your efforts will not go to waste. The real deal is always far more beautiful than the imitation.

Let's get cracking on learning a language!

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KidSpeak - immerse your child in a new language

KidSpeak Language Learning Software is distributed by Transparent Language. It is designed for children aged 5-13 years. Nine languages are available but in Windows format only, even in Windows 98. This programme does not work in Mac.

Like Rosetta Stone, KidSpeak uses the immersion method to teach children. All activities are interactive and entertaining for children. There are games, puzzles, connect the dots, and songs to help children learn correct pronunciation, alphabet, word recognition, simple sentence structure, plural and singular forms, numbers, etc. A cartoon character is the teacher. No English is used at all, but English can be shown by a click of the mouse.

The younger the child, the faster he will pick up the language. The activity sheets can be printed as another option, instead of point and click on the screen. While children will pick up the language quickly, they will merely be introduced to the new language, rather than be fluent in it by the end of the CD pack. There are no tests or evaluation to tell the parent how well the child has progressed. The entire premise of the package is fun and entertainment.

Depending on the learning style of the child, he may either find this frustrating, boring or fun.

Frustrating because there is no English used at all. He may be in tears due to the lack of understanding.
Boring because the graphics and games are old fashioned. Remember, you can use this on Windows 98 and later versions of Windows.
Fun because it is all fun and games with songs included.

Overall, it is reasonably priced for a starter package. It costs a fraction of Rosetta Stone, with similar teaching style. If you want to try it out on your child without spending a lot of money, get KidSpeak.

Have fun learning a new language!

Fun Language Tools

Tell Me More software - helps you learn more

Tell Me More language learning software is less well known than Rosetta Stone, but it is considered one of the top of the line packages available today. Available in nine languages, the entire package is interactive and well done. They even offer English as a Second Language for non-English speakers.

Priced similar to Fluenz and Rosetta Stone, it is not cheap, but offers a comprehensive language learning lesson in a box. There are various levels of lessons to choose from: beginner to advanced. I tried out the beginner lessons, since I know almost no French.

From the first word, you will learn to speak, read and write French. The only problem is there is no explanation on the French alphabet or pronunciation. Somehow, the "teacher" expects you to know which letter with the correct symbol to choose. I got it correct for the greetings, but I imagine that spelling will get more difficult as the lessons progress. If you don't explain the alphabet to me, how can I learn to spell correctly? For that matter, my pronunciation will also be affected as I don't know how to sound out each letter.

In each part of the lesson there is audio and pictures, along with the written sentences. What is puzzling is I am expected to guess the correct sentence when I've only been taught one of the sentences and not the others. You can right click on the word to get the pronunciation and translation into English, but simply by looking at the picture, you could end up with the wrong answer. Once you have clicked on the answer, a "Check Your Answer" box pops up. Click on the box to see if you got it right. If you did not, a yellow "Show Solution" box will pop up to show you the correct answer. Once you have got the correct answer, a green box will pop up to tell you you're correct and can move on to the next part of the lesson.

The software is interactive, so there is a voice recording function to record your voice and play it back. In both the native speaker's pronunciation and yours, the wave forms will be shown. I didn't find this useful as I have no idea how to interpret the wave form and adjust my pronunciation accordingly. The software will tell you on a coloured scale if your pronunciation meets the minimum standard. If it's blue, you have to keep repeating till it turns green before you can carry on. I found the Adobe Flash microphone a pain. It worked well on single syllable words but failed to pick up the first syllable in multi-syllable words. I had to speak loudly for it to pick up my voice. If I spoke too loudly, a box would pop up saying that there is a possible problem with my microphone. Word endings were not picked up either. I ended up getting fed up after about 3-4 attempts and moved on without "completing" that section.

At the end of the entire lesson, a graph will show how much of the lesson you have completed (meaning how much you got correct) and what lessons need to be repeated. The only problem is that when you click on "continue", it makes you repeat the entire lesson instead of allowing you to choose only those parts that you failed to get correct. I suppose if you're a serious learner of the language, repetition will help you remember.

Overall, Tell Me More language learning software is an excellent package. The beauty of this software lies in the fact that you can choose the language of instruction. If you don't know English, you can choose Chinese, Japanese, Italian, etc, as the medium of instruction, whereas Fluenz and Rosetta Stone are entirely from the English-speaker's standpoint. At the end of the entire set of lessons, you will have mastered the language you are learning. Well worth the money spent.

Have fun learning a language!

Fun Language Tools

Keep repeating, it'll stick in your head eventually

Repetition is the mother of learning.

I don't know if that was ever said by anyone famous, but it's a phrase that's stuck in my head for years. If we repeat something often enough, we'll learn. Here's another version:

Practice makes perfect.

This truth applies to learning anything: language, skill, habit, schoolwork, geography, you name it. People say this to me often: "Oh, you're a linguist!" or "You have a natural flair for languages." Well, maybe or maybe not. If you asked any of my classmates from school, they'll laugh out loud in your face over that statement. One of my classmates told me her best memory of me in school was hiding a storybook inside my Chinese textbook and reading during Chinese class! Another classmate remarked recently, "Since when did you start speaking Malay?! You never took Malay in school! Now you're spouting Malay all over!"

They're both right. I was atrocious at anything other than English in school. I scraped through Chinese exams annually. I had a wonderful Taiwanese housewife who gave me a love for Chinese when I was 13 years old, but sadly, by that time, I was so far behind to be able to catch up and do well in Chinese.

I don't know when languages became easier for me, but I can honestly say that every language I've learned took hard work. Lots of repetition. Many, many nights of words floating in my head as I slept. Many mornings I woke up with foreign words running around in my mind, refusing to let me rest. This is why I firmly believe in the above two cliches. Repetition does allow for learning.

This is why I like this blog post Men need to hear things twice by my friend, Lloyd Estrada. He's talking about how men hear things and process them. Well, Lloyd and his wife, Dahl, are now fairly fluent Spanish speakers, having been at the language for a year now. Obviously, they had lots of repetition practice!

There is no substitute for plain hard work. Do you want to learn a language? Well, get moving!

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. (Chinese saying)

Happy learning a language!

Fun Language Tools

Learn Vietnamese fast

Are you an expatriate living and working in Vietnam? Or are you living among many Vietnamese immigrants in Europe or America? Maybe you're like me with many Vietnamese friends studying in your country. Wouldn't it be nice to communicate with the Vietnamese in their own language? I think so!

This book with CDs sold separately is excellent. Vietnamese for Beginners: Second Edition is exactly what it promises. It is for people who know very little Vietnamese or none at all. At the end of the course of self-study, you will be able to speak, listen, read and write Vietnamese!

This is the only Vietnamese self-study package that teaches southern Vietnamese language. As you listen to the audio CDs, the instructor will make distinctions between the northern and southern words and pronunciation. This is useful since people in different parts of Vietnam have different pronunciations and accents. Depending on whom you speak to, opinions are divided as to which accent is the accurate one. I think what's more important is that you are understood by the locals, rather than be concerned about being "proper".

Lessons focus on sounds, tones and alphabet. Southern Vietnamese grammar is clearly explained with exercises to reinforce learning. It helps that the author is an American living in Ho Chi Minh City. His approach is simple and clear. It is also a very affordable package for both the book and the CDs, which are sold separately, as compared to Rosetta Stone.

Rosetta Stone's and Talk Now's Vietnamese packages are entirely northern accent and usage. Both packages can be a heavy investment if you are just starting out wanting to "get by" in Vietnamese. If you are around southern Vietnamese and wanting to communicate with them, Rosetta Stone will not help you. It could also alienate you from the people you are trying to befriend, since deep-seated feelings exist among Vietnamese from the north and the south. Learning a language is not just about being able to communicate; it is also embracing a new culture. The cultural lesson will take a lifetime to learn and understand.

As with learning any language, you may wish to use two different packages at the same time to speed up learning. If you're that kind of learner, then you can use Pimsleur with Vietnamese for Beginners. Pimsleur is also an audio with book package that will get you speaking fast.

Enjoy learning Vietnamese! The tones may make you stumble at first, but you will have fun!

Fun Language Tools

It just doesn't translate correctly!

Some English words just don't have an equivalent in another language! Translators have such a hard time when English speakers use a word that just does not exist in the native language.

I sat with five experienced Indonesian translators over lunch. These are the cream of the crop of translators from English to Indonesian and vice versa. They are fast and accurate when translating for speakers at seminars and conferences. One of them suddenly asked, "Hey, Indonesian translators. What is the Indonesian word for 'excellence'?" One replied immediately, "Unggul." A quick retort, "No. 'Excellence' is not 'perfect'." Then came a string of synonyms in Indonesian for the English word 'perfect'. The faces around the table showed frustration.

English speakers like to use this phrase:

We must be excellent because our God is an excellent God!

Completely impossible to translate into Indonesian! My Indonesian is far from perfect, but I can tell you that there is no equivalent word in Khmer either! What a headache!

I used to teach a lesson entitled "Excellence in the Workplace". The material was three pages long, but explaining the concepts took an hour or more. At the end of the class, I would just hope they got it. When you live in a culture where the general idea is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", then how do you instill in the young that mediocre just isn't acceptable? Language is the way to communicate, but sometimes language just fails us miserably.

Maybe body language or "show and tell" really is the way to go when communicating to someone of a different culture and language. Sometimes "show and tell" is best even in your own culture. My young Vietnamese friends were trying to explain the ring tab of a drink can to their Vietnamese classmate. After a few minutes, their friend was still puzzled as to what they were talking about. He thought they meant the cover of a canned drink (what's that?!). Finally, I showed him my small collection of ring tabs, and he understood immediately.

I love learning languages. I am far from being a polyglot. I am still learning to be more fluent in some of the languages I speak. The journey will go on until the end of my life. The more I learn, the more I find how limited our languages can be. One of those five translators around the table said, "You know, Indonesian is only one-third of English." We had a really good laugh when he said, "Lord, we thank You for your mercy, grace and compassion." While this prayer is common among English speakers, it is a nightmare for the one who is listening to his prayer being translated into Indonesian. You see, the word for "mercy", "grace" and "compassion" is generally the same: "kasih karunia". You can use "anugerah" or "kemurahan", but in general, "kasih karunia" will suffice for the general audience. So, the translator risks being labelled as "no good" when it is not his fault.

"Lost in translation" is a very real thing. However, it motivate us to learn more languages and learn them well, rather than make us throw up our hands in surrender. Being able to communicate in another language even at a basic level brings satisfaction that cannot be described.

Here's to learning a new language! Fun Language Tools

Get immersed and talking fast with Instant Immersion

Instant Immersion Spanish Instant Immersion language learning software is available in over 100 languages, including some native American languages, not just major languages of the world. Each language is "taught" by a native speaker, so you get to hear correct pronunciation as you learn. There are three levels for Spanish. Each level comprises 3 discs and a workbook. If you buy the Deluxe set, you get three bonus discs with the package. Each package comes with an interactive DVD and MP3 discs that you can transfer to your iPod or iPhone to play on the go.

This software is best for the beginner who wants to pick up conversational skills quickly. If you are going to Spain, then the Spanish package is good for you because it teaches Spanish from Spain, not Latin America. The use of flash cards, conversation with a native speaker, and a video game to enforce learning, work together to help you learn through repetition and practice. The only drawback is that there is no grammar instruction, which may not bother you, depending on how you learn.

As you listen to the pronunciation, you can record your voice and play it back to hear how you sound, as compared to the native speaker. The "checking" component is wave form and pitch contour which can be adjusted to strict or lenient. For those who can't seem to hear the differences in tones and sounds, this system is very good to help you get the right pronunciation. As you converse with the computer, you are learning quickly general phrases and questions that will help the general or business learner of Spanish. The variety and mixture of topics appeals to learners of all ages.

The audio and visual lessons present information in a variety of ways. Each activity can be customised for the particular age group. In short, you can tweak the software to learn in your own way. This is a bonus, since each person learns differently. You choose what works best for you.

There is no space to get bored as the approach to teaching changes as you get used to the same method. Your mind will not have a chance to wander off. This makes learning fun and interesting.

The best part about Instant Immersion is the price. This costs a fraction of Rosetta Stone and Fluenz. It is affordable and helps you get started quickly. Of course, all three packages, plus Pimsleur, can be used in conjunction with each other. If you want to learn fast, then get all the packages and immerse yourself in every way possible. Sometimes the way to learn is to jump in with two feet.

Whichever way you learn best, enjoy the process! Learning language is fun! Fun Language Tools

Are you an audio learner? Use Pimsleur

Pimsleur German language

Pimsleur is one of the top selling language learning software packages available in the market today. It was developed by Dr Pimsleur himself, who is a linguist. The success story of Pimsleur is that this package is used by the US government to train its officers in foreign languages so that they can serve effectively overseas. So, why not extend it to the general public?

The approach is a simple three steps: learn, review, engage. All lessons are audio-based at 30 minutes per lesson. Up to four users are allowed with one purchase. It comes in CD or MP3 format. There are games and audio flashcards in the package. The beauty of Pimsleur is you can take your lesson with you on the go: in the car, while riding a bus or a train, or even a bicycle. No computer is required. At 30 minutes a day, you will be speaking and understanding very quickly.

50 languages are available to choose. Each lesson is based on a drill, so the words and phrases will stick in your head for a long, long time, simply because you have to repeat them over and over again. Each new word or phrase builds on or incorporates the previous one learned, so there is little chance you will forget what you learned yesterday or the week before. It is excellent for the absolute beginner in the language of your choice. It works best for the audio learner, not someone who needs to "see it to remember it".

I tried out the free Mandarin lesson online. The instructors are native speakers. That is a plus. However, Mandarin is a tonal language. A wrong tone will result in either not making any sense whatsoever, or saying something completely different. If you are tone deaf, you will never be able to differentiate between the tones. The only explanations that the instructor gives is, "Notice the rising and falling tone". Frankly, if you are an absolute beginner, you may never even have realised there were tones to begin with.

Then comes the learner's pronunciation. Since the lessons are all audio-based, there is no interaction with the software or instructor. This means there is no way to check if I am pronouncing the words correctly or not. It baffles me why the marketer's voice says, "Your pronunciation will be exceptional!" Really? How will I know?

Now comes the actual content of Lesson 1 for the Beginner. Pimsleur translates the spoken English language into Chinese as 英文. Technically, this is not correct. 文 is used for the written language. 语 is used for the spoken language. So, the question: "Do you speak English?" should be translated as "你会说英语吗？" rather than "你会说英文吗？“

Since the lessons are focused only on conversational Mandarin for China, it makes sense to use the Mainland China's translation of Mandarin, which is 普通话, instead of 华语 (South-East Asia) or 国语 (Taiwan) or 汉语 (some parts of China), depending on which part of the Chinese-speaking world you come from. For the written form, Chinese language is translated as 中文 or 华文.

No language learning package is perfect. It all depends on how you best learn a language. Some reviews said they never got past very simple phrases that did not allow them to survive as a tourist in a foreign land. Others said they were speaking in no time at all, as short as two weeks. My recommendation is to use a combination of several packages (Fluenz or Rosetta Stone or some simple child's DVD or book) to get the full exposure to every kind of learning method. This way, you will really be speaking like a native in no time at all. The goal is to learn, not criticise the instructor.

Have fun learning a new language! It will open doors to cultures you never dreamed existed!

Fun Language Tools

Yale-NUS profs ready!

The Straits Times, 28 April 2013, Singapore

I was so tickled when I read this article. The Yale-NUS partnership has been long in the planning. They will finally open their doors to students in August 2013, when the university academic year begins. Yale University is a global brand known for the best and brightest minds. NUS or the National University of Singapore, has made a name for itself in the Asian scene, and the world as well. Of course, for such a strategic partnership to take place, the best and brightest of Yale professors must be part of the faculty.

Their job is simply to bring out the best in each student. Language of instruction? English. Will these top minds then confine themselves to the ivory tower of learning and never venture out into the real Singapore? According to this article, a flat "no".

Why, they are preparing themselves for the complete cross-cultural experience! These professors are not just coming to impart knowledge, they want to be immersed in the total Singapore experience, local language and all. While they may never have a chance to use Singlish, they can at least understand the casual chatter of the local students. It will help when they go about the chores of daily life like going to the market, ordering a meal at the local hawker centre, etc. "Be prepared" like any good Scout will tell you. What can they expect? Take a look here.

While the professors are excited about moving to Singapore, the Singapore community in Yale is just as excited to showcase Singapore culture to them. The class was free of charge. Everyone was enthusiastic. Way to go! It takes both the local and the expat to make the cultural experience fun, smooth and a little easier.

Welcome to Singapore!

If you're going overseas very soon, be prepared! Read up on the new place. You will enjoy the cross-cultural experience so much more!

Have a wonderful time soaking in the language, culture, sights and sounds!

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3 countries, 1 piece of history

Piece of Berlin Wall on display in Singapore

This headline caught my eye when I saw it. Three countries were involved in this display: former East Germany, Singapore (where Bedok is located) and USA.

Former East Germany: piece of Berlin Wall that was on display.
Singapore: welcomed the piece of Berlin Wall to be displayed in Bedok, where the then-Member of Parliament (MP) was personal friends with the owners of the piece of Berlin Wall.
USA: where the owners of the piece of Berlin Wall are from and will be returning to shortly.

Is this multi-cultural? Certainly. Singaporeans living in Bedok (an everyday, ordinary neighbourhood) got to appreciate a piece of world history, plus the artwork that was painted on. Some of the elderly who have never been to school may not even know where Germany is, or that there once was an East and a West Germany, divided by a large wall. Yet, thanks to the generosity of the American owners and the innovative thinking of the MP and personal friend, ordinary folk were exposed to a piece of world history that would enrich their lives for a period of time.

Well, the display period has come to and end, but the people who have seen this piece of art will have their lives forever changed. One cannot walk past a piece of world history and not be affected by it. Similarly, one cannot come into contact with a person of another language and culture and not be affected by it.

Let's embrace another language and culture, instead of waiting for another language and culture to affect us. Our lives will be so much richer for that.

Let's celebrate each other's language and culture!

Fun Language Tools

Fluenz to get fluent

Fluenz Language Learning Software

Fluenz is considered one of the luxury brands of language learning software available in the market today. Six languages are currently available, with more being added at a slow pace. This move is deliberate as each language offered has been carefully researched and pulled apart before the curriculum is designed for the English speaker who is learning the new language.

The instructor for each language offered uses a different approach for each language. Fluenz does not assume that the way to learn every language is the same. Each instructor has put in great effort to learn the language himself/herself. They do not claim to be perfect, native speakers. The goal of Fluenz is simply to get you communicating orally with a native speaker as quickly as possible.

Here's an example of a Mandarin lesson: The lesson is about ordering a drink at a restaurant. The conversation begins with simple greetings and then Lisa orders coffee and water. As you listen to the spoken words, the Hanyu Pinyin or official pronunciation guide appears on the screen. No Chinese characters are used in the lessons, as the focus is on conversation, not reading and writing.

Go through teach short lesson at least three times or until you are comfortable with speaking each phrase. After that, the instructor comes on to break down each phrase word by word and translates each word into English. She also explains the sentence structure and grammar from an English standpoint. This way you can use the individual words in your own sentence later on.

Once that part of the lesson is learned, then comes the review. Here's a screenshot of the review section:


Repetition is the best way to learn a language well. Somehow the correct word order will automatically pop up in my head when the time comes to use it. So this is a tried and true method of learning to speak a language well.

Very soon, you will be able to order food and get around in China on your own. Once you are hooked, you can go for the Pimsleur Series and use it together with Fluenz to go full on in learning Mandarin.

Get started today with a package from Fun Language Tools!

Happy learning!

Fun Language Tools

Just say it like you think it

Tamil language education still going strong

There are many ways to teach and learn a language. Some insist on 100% immersion into the language without the use of any other language to explain the words or grammar. The theory is that if you get thrown into the deep end of the pool, you will somehow learn to swim to survive.

Others say that you learn best when everything in the new language is explained using your native language, so you fully understand what is going on and how the new language works. Some disagree with this method, saying that you end up not learning anything because you rely entirely on your native language, using it as a crutch to fall back on too often.

The article above is a study of school children learning Tamil, a Southern Indian language. Both the theories I stated earlier are shown to be wrong. School children in Singapore are taught Tamil as a second language. They may get stuck on a word, but if they use English, Chinese or Malay to fill in the blank, they are not penalised. In reality, the children end up learning and speaking more Tamil this way than if they were forced to speak only Tamil. I think the children get excited if they are given a chance to express themselves without fear of being reprimanded if they make a mistake or use a foreign word in a sentence. After all, it is better for them to speak up than not at all.

I tell all my students who are learning any language that they need to have "thick skin" to learn. Go ahead and keep talking. Don't be afraid of saying the wrong thing. Someone will correct you along the way, and you learn something new very quickly. Say it in the way you think is right, mixed with other languages. You will learn very quickly.

Have fun learning languages!

Fun Language Tools

What's a Peeking Tom?

Peeping Tom

My Caucasian friend with a Chinese husband shared a cute remark that her husband made: "I suspect in that building across from us there are many peeking toms".

That got me thinking. What's the difference between "peep" and "peek"? So, here's what I found:
Peek: look quickly, typically in a furtive manner
Peep: look quickly and furtively at something, especially through a narrow opening

Slight difference between the two words. No wonder they're called "Peeping Toms" and not "Peeking Toms". Peeping Toms are peering through a narrow opening, while a Peeking Tom could be looking from a distance or from around a corner. All that said, my friend's husband is not wrong in his word usage. After all, if a man is looking across a building into someone's hotel room, it isn't a narrow opening! He might never get caught either, being that he's so far away.

The English language is full of phrases and sayings that easily confuse the learner. I've been speaking and writing English all my life, yet I still find out new meanings of phrases, like this one mentioned above. Sometimes it takes a non-native speaker to make our speech and language all the more colourful. So, let's colour our world with our unique brand of English!

Enjoy your language learning journey!

Fun Language Tools

Eat till it hurts and stay fat

Nike t-shirt I was walking through a mall on Saturday morning when I saw a rather large man with an equally large woman standing in the middle of the walkway eating fast food. They had on matching t-shirts (the one in the picture), shorts and sports shoes. I almost took a photo, but that would be rude. So, I continued on my way, making a mental note for today's blog post.

No Pain, No Gain

I've always heard this phrase used for exercise or sport. If you don't work out hard enough (and hence experience pain), you won't gain muscle mass, agility, strength, ... and whatever else you should to improve your physical fitness. As slightly tubby friends slog it out in the gym, us so-called friends will "motivate" them by saying, "Hey, no pain, no gain. Keep at it." This cute line is supposed to make them stay on the road to a 6-pack or hourglass figure.

Well, as I looked at this couple, I thought to myself, "How ironic!" The combination of being overweight, eating fast food and wearing this shirt was too funny for me. If you don't eat junk food till your stomach hurts (No Pain), then you won't get to my size (No Gain). So, no matter how much I exercise (note: they were wearing running shoes), I still need to eat high fat food to maintain or gain weight. Ha!

Whichever way you interpret this slogan, the fact remains that if you don't experience pain in learning anything, you will not gain knowledge and experience. The same goes with learning a language. The more pain you experience in trying to get the pronunciation, spelling, grammar, etc right, the more you will gain. You will be well on your way to communicating with a people and learning about their culture.

Whether you like it or not, all learning involves some measure of pain. The more pain, the more you gain! And have some fun in the process. The results are well worth the effort.

Learn a new language today!

Fun Language Tools

Singapore - efficient in every way!

Foreigners who come to Singapore often complain that they don't understand what Singaporeans are saying. Sometimes it is not our accent but the words. We're efficient! Everything must be "chop! chop! Let's go!" So who said communication is all about words?

Fun Language Tools doesn't offer material to learn Singlish, but you can find many other languages available here: Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Italian, etc, etc.

Learn a new language, open up a new world of opportunities!

Fun Language Tools

Speak their language, don't understand them

I speak their language, but I don't understand what they are saying.

My friend has said this to me several times over the years. He has lived in his adopted country for more than 10 years, has a local wife and a son who attends a local school. He should be an expert in the local culture and language by now. But why did he say this? Why aren't the locals getting through to him? Where has the communication failed?

Communication is more than just words. We all know that. Ho hum. Learning a language does not equal being able to communicate. All it enables us to do is be able to "get by" in the new language. We can say what we need to say, but do they really get what we mean? Sometimes yes, oftentimes, no.

It takes many years, some say a lifetime, to fully understand and get into the psyche of a people and their culture. It does help if you are not so far removed from that culture e.g. a Chinese Singaporean person who works in Hong Kong. Yes, ethnically they are the same - Chinese. Yet, they are vastly different. Even if they are from the same language group i.e. Cantonese, Singaporeans and Hong Kongers are vastly different. Even the use of words is laced with nuances that another cannot understand. How much more this difference is magnified when you get a Westerner who lives and works in Asia! He may speak the local language fluently, but he will still complain like my friend did - just can't understand what goes on in their heads.

Can we just try to see something from their perspective? It isn't easy. But it isn't impossible either. It takes a lot of humility to say "I am a student". I have chosen to be a student of other cultures, not claiming to know it all. My eyes and horizon have widened and been greatly enriched because of this. The Chinese have a saying, 活到老，学到老. In English, it means, "live till an old age, learn till an old age". Perhaps a better translation would be "learning is lifelong".

Will you continue learning a new language and culture till the day you die? I will try. I want to keep learning something new every day! Find a tool here to help you.

Have fun learning!

Fun Language Tools

Can a place be alarmed?

I saw this sign on the door of a church in Melbourne, Australia. I had to take a picture. How can an area be "alarmed"? "To be alarmed" is an emotion, which only living beings can feel, not physical locations. At least that is what I thought before I found this definition from Oxford:

verb
1 [with object] make (someone) feel frightened, disturbed, or in danger:
the government was alarmed by an outbreak of unrest
2 (be alarmed) be fitted or protected with an alarm:
this door is locked and alarmed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

So apparently, the church staff was correct. But, to the average person who knows some English, it can be funny, or alarming! (pun intended) This sign was not Australian English, but proper use of the word.

In short, it pays to be curious about language. I learned something new today!

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Happy learning!