If you’re planning to move to a Portuguese-speaking country, fluency in the local language will be essential to navigating the bureaucracies that come with settling in a new place. Plus, you will need to master the basics if you want to communicate with your neighbors. And what better way to learn than with some typical(…)
10 Wunderbar German Idioms and Expressions
If your aim is to be able to speak German like a native, then you’ll need a firm grasp of colloquial and everyday speech. Often these things are learned later on in the language learning process, once you know your grammar and comprehension. But it’s always handy to have a few sayings and expressions under(…)
9 Spanish Idioms: Express to Impress
Even within the same language idioms aren’t understood by everyone. This is especially true when the people who speak the language can be found all over the world. Spanish speakers are spread out far and wide and every country has its own way of doing things. Below are some Spanish idioms, but be aware that(…)
11 Idioms to Add Color to Your French!
Like English (and many other languages), French is littered with idioms, many of them referring to animals, religion, and parts of the body. A lot of French expressions have English equivalents and a few can even be translated word for word, but others are a bit further away from the English and some appear to(…)
Stop Saying That! Expressions You Need to Stop Getting Wrong
I am a stickler for correct grammar. I recognize the evolving nature of language and that everyone has their own dialects, slang words, and vernaculars, but if I have to spend five minutes longer than usual deciphering something you’ve written because you refuse to use commas, you will suffer my wrath. As much as I(…)
7 Japanese Idioms & Proverbs to Impress
Japanese can be a beautifully poetic language, but many people would agree that it’s one of the hardest to learn by far. But why make things easy on yourself by learning a language that shares a lot in common with English? Japanese is a challenge and that’s what makes learning it so exciting – not(…)
9 Russian Idioms: Throwing Peas and Milking Chickens
Taking on the task of learning Russian is no easy feat. Not only do you need to get your head around tenses, grammar and the accent, but you need to learn a whole new alphabet too. It’s certainly not one of the easiest languages to learn if your first language is English, but don’t be(…)
5 Steps to Becoming a Real Italian
So, you’re in love with Italy. You never thought you could love a country, its people and its culture as much as you love Italy. In fact, you love the Mediterranean paradise so much, you not only want to surround yourself with the people, you want to be one of them. But what makes an(…)
Achtung! How Stay Safe on Your Trip to Germany
Like many countries in Europe, Germany may seem to have a rather more relaxed view towards child safety than other places. Germany is a very safe country, with low crime rates, so there isn’t too much to worry about. However, though children aren’t coddled, there are still health and safety laws to follow and dangers(…)
7 Russian Dishes Your Kids Will Say “Da!” To
When you think of Russia you may not immediately think of five-star restaurants or child-friendly cuisine. In fact, the restaurant style we have of eating, with one course after the other, comes from Russia. Before we used to eat French style, with everything laid out all at once as a buffet. So we have Russia(…)
