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Tết 2016
Hello again. I know it’s been a while, but I’m aiming to make a fresh start in 2016 (Lunar New Year aka Tết is just round the corner) and return to posting more often. Stay tuned! Year of the Monkey...
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One year on: What language learning am I doing?
Chúc mừng năm mới, các bạn! Happy new lunar year of the rooster. I hope it’s a great one for you personally, professionally and in your language learning life too. Speaking of, I’m well overdue an...
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Instagram Language Diary Challenge
I often use instagram in my language learning. I’ve mentioned that now I often take part in the Language Diary Challenge, but what is it and how can you use it to improve your Vietnamese? From offline...
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My language learning in 2017
How is it the end of 2017 already? Here’s a now annual tradition to reflect on my language learning over the past year, update you on what study habits I’ve kept up with and what I’ve changed about my...
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Listening: What’s your problem?
Listening is the weakest skill for many learners. To improve your listening, you first need to know what your listening problems are. As an English teacher, I usually survey my students to find out...
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Active Listening: Transcribing
Today we continue looking at listening. Last week we checked that it’s listening we’re struggling with. Here’s a technique to help you diagnose your listening problems. The basic idea is that you watch...
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How I learnt Vietnamese – Part 2
Seven years ago I started learning Vietnamese. Wow! It’s been a bumpy ride at times. I’ve worked hard but also taken long breaks. I reached an intermediate level, what I’d call conversationally fluent...
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My language learning in 2018
We’re in 2019 already, and Tet has long since passed but I’m going to sneak in with an annual review of my language learning in 2018. In this post I’ll be reflecting, updating you on what study habits...
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Goal: upgrading my fluency in one month
My language studies are ticking along nicely but my speaking ability has hit a bit of a plateau. I can manage daily interactions like ordering in a restaurant or buying tickets. I can have a...
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My language learning 2019
2019 has come to a close, and Tet is round the corner. In this post I’ll be reflecting on 2019, updating you on what study habits I’ve kept up with and what I’ve changed about my language learning...
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My language learning in 2020
We’re a couple of months into 2021 and Tết has recently passed – Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! In this post I’ll be reflecting on my language learning in 2020, updating you on what study habits I’ve kept up with...
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Comparing 3 years of Vietnamese v 3 years of Russian
In 2011 I arrived in Vietnam ready to teach English after a couple of months backpacking and ready to learn the language. In total I spent 3.5 years in Vietnam between 2011 and 2016. Some of the time I...
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My language learning in 2018
We’re in 2019 already, and Tet has long since passed but I’m going to sneak in with an annual review of my language learning in 2018. In this post I’ll be reflecting, updating you on what study habits...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Goal: upgrading my fluency in one month
My language studies are ticking along nicely but my speaking ability has hit a bit of a plateau. I can manage daily interactions like ordering in a restaurant or buying tickets. I can have a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My language learning 2019
2019 has come to a close, and Tet is round the corner. In this post I’ll be reflecting on 2019, updating you on what study habits I’ve kept up with and what I’ve changed about my language learning...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My language learning in 2020
We’re a couple of months into 2021 and Tết has recently passed – Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! In this post I’ll be reflecting on my language learning in 2020, updating you on what study habits I’ve kept up with...
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Comparing 3 years of Vietnamese v 3 years of Russian – which is harder?
In 2011 I arrived in Vietnam ready to teach English after a couple of months backpacking and ready to learn the language. In total I spent 3.5 years in Vietnam between 2011 and 2016. Some of the time I...
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My language learning in 2021
Tết 2022 is fast approaching – Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! What a year 2021 was again. Through it all I’ve still been learning and practising my languages. This post is my annual round-up of how I spent my...
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12 tips to improve your speaking skills (in Vietnamese)
Speaking a foreign language can be a challenge, but when you overcome that it can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. How can you improve this difficult skill? In order to improve your speaking...
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How conversation lessons can boost your speaking skills
Do you get enough speaking practice? I’m guessing not. I’ve mentioned several times that I use conversation lessons when learning foreign languages. But what exactly is a conversation lesson and what...
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