Friday, 21 December 2012

French Words that Don't Have an Equivalent in English

At our I Want To Learn French webpage, we help you decide on the best software for you to learn French.

We are firm believers that learning languages is an excellent way to expand your mind. Indeed, one interesting thing about different languages is that each has a vocabulary which sees reality in slightly different ways. In fact, there are words which express concepts that don't even exist in other languages.


For example, with French:

English supposedly has the largest vocabulary of any languages in the world (7x more words than French !), and well-educated people typically know less than 10% of them. There would be too many English words and nuances that do not exist in other languages (thousands in French, Italian or Japanese), but much less the other way round. Here are examples of the occasional French words that do not have an exact translation in English, or not in a single word.


The list is really fascinating, and it really makes you see how various people can see the world so differently.



Saturday, 15 December 2012

Why is English the only language with a different word for pineapple?

At our English Learning Course webage, we review some the most popular English language learning software to help you tackle the sometimes weird and nonsensical English language.

Just to prove how weird English is, look at how EVERY language in the world, it seems has a similar word for pineapple. But, no, not the English!

Look at this chart:





I mean, really, it's like they WANTED to make English difficult, isn't it?

Well, if it makes you feel better, even English speakers get confused by their own language.

Good luck on your English language learning goals, and I hope that you achieve all that you desire!



Friday, 14 December 2012

The Top 10 Spanish curse words (not for children!)

At our Best Spanish Learning Software webpage, we help you choose from among Rosetta Stone, Fluenz, Rocket Spanish and others to see what is best for your needs.

Some of the programs, for example, focus on spoken Spanish more than written Spanish.


If you do want to learn conversational Spanish, here are some interesting facts:

The Spaniards have an alarmingly rich vocabulary of swear words and vulgarities – ranging from one-word cusses to full-sentence chants like 'me cago en todo lo que se menea!'. When speaking to a typical Spanish man, it's almost strange not to hear a full sentence with anything erm… crude. Mind you, I adore the Spanish language: combined with expressive hand gestures, it's full of vigor, passion and emotions. The Spaniards for one, have always captivated my heart with their sultry linguistic demeanours.

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Read more at 

Very interesting, and funny.


Monday, 10 December 2012

Interesting Blogs about Learning German

For all of you who are interested in learning German, here is a list of blogs that you may find interesting:


  • Hiding my IP to learn German | Language on the Move | Education - Hiding my IP to learn German | Language on the Move. Monday, December 10, 2012; German Language; Add a comment. You've probably never heard of Easy Hide IP, an admittedly obscure software that allows you to surf the internet as if ...

  • 7 Cool New Ways to Learn German - VentureVillage - Here are our pick of the next-gen German language learning tools that will have you fluent in no time.

  • Want to learn German? How to get started. – Smarter German - I want my students to learn German very well and damn fast. But being fast on my feet at least as far as languages are concerned and being highly rational I do not always find my expectations matched. People often just want ...

  • German celebration for Xmas, learn German vocabulary | 12speak ... - German celebration officially start the 11th November, St Martin day. For that day, children use to make lanterns and bring them to the procession. Then from the 1st December every child gets one advent calendar: each day ...

  • How children can learn German creatively | Today I Learned ... - Guest post. Children pick up their native language as they go along, by watching those around them interact, listening to them talk, working out meaning,

  • Learn German: A 3 Month Challenge | Love 2 Type - I have a German language exam to pass early next year. Unfortunately, it doesn't come cheap at 5000 pesos + travel expenses since exam is held in Manila once / twice in a month and 3 times per year in … Continue reading ...

  • Educate Yourself Without School | High Existence - You can learn German, listen to the latest Indie Music through NPR, get the NBC nightly news or really anything that you want. It's all on ... For this particular endeavor, try searching "site:.edu ______" and fill in the space with what you want.

  • Listening to Language Educators | ED.gov Blog - Sara Hofler, the Principal of the Paragon School in Orlando, Fla., makes sure students in her specialized K-12 program for students affected by autism or Asperger's Syndrome, learn German. People often ask her why such ...

  • German « Learn languages - Learn German today This is a German course that… is a fun way of learning German reduces your learning time by up to 50% can help you instantly speak, read and understand German. Learn German today! Reasons for ...

  • German Online Teacher | German Online Tutor - My name is Daniel and I am a professional German language trainer with five years of experience in private language schools, universities and online. I have a degree in education, political science and economics, I am a ...

  • German Sounds « Learn German with G - Consonants (right consonant = voiced) 1) [d͡ʒ] and [ʒ] occur only in words of foreign origin. In certain varieties, they are replaced by [t͡ʃ] and [ʃ]. 2) [ç] and [x] are allophones in complementary distribution. [x] occurs after ...

  • Learn German-ish 001 - Learn German (ish) free podcasts - Length 0:34 download podcast 001 Paul Wheaton learns German with Susanne Schneider. Paul shares about Hogan's Heroes. Susanne is a native German speaker, and learned English in the 5th grade. They both know ...

  • Where to learn German in Coimbatore? - SimpleGerman.com - Coimbatore is a emerging developing city in Tamilnadu state of India. If you are looking for a place to learn german, unlike chennai there are only few places available where you can learn german. There is one Goethe Insitut ...

  • Why learn German language? - SimpleGerman.com - What does one have an motive to learn german? Here are the main reasons why most people prefer to learn german as their second language. 1. German language is the second most widely used language in Internet next to ...

  • How To Learn German | pressurewashingbusinesstips.com - A standard pressure washer can be useful but there are some pitfalls to it. It will require gas and it can be especially loud. Also, it may be too strong for things that one is trying to  handle.

  • Learn german online free audio « myupdatez - English brochureLayout Typesetting ICG wwwicgonlinecouk147Learn and live the Willkommen LR 120 224 rrFFLTTUVEZr54r505r LR 225 549 rrFFLTTUVEZr54r505r LR 550 784 rrFFLTTUVEZr54r505r LR 785 944 prepare ...

  • Those German Bands Singing In English | EuroKulture - Meet Eurokulture's editors EuroKulture Lost & Found in Translation: Blogging European pop culture 10. Have your heard of Scorpions? I'm not referring an insect, but the band who sings the famous song Wind of Change. Ten years ago, I listened to this song for the first time.

  • Language Log » Ilse Lehiste again - Arnold's news yesterday about Ilse Lehiste's passing was a sad coda to Christmas. It was from Ilse that I first heard of the three degrees of phonemic length in Estonian consonants and vowels, and about Halbdeutsch ("Half-German"), the German-Estonian mixture created by Estonians eager to achieve upward mobility during a period of German rule. It was only half-German because the German rulers didn't want Estonians to learn German, so that Estonian German-learners had little access to full German. 

Things Expats Find Weird About Germany

At our Best German Learning Software webpage, we help you to decide which program is best for you: Rosetta Stone, Tell Me More, Fluenz, Rocket Languages.

For those that want to learn German because they will be visiting or even living in Germany, be prepared for some subtle culture shocks.


Here are some interesting observations by one expat in Germany who has listed 10 things she finds weird:

2. "Thanks" means "no"
Confusing, no? Let me tell you how! If you are at the bakery, and the person behind the counter asks you if you would like your bread sliced, make sure you say "Bitte" (please) or "Ja". If you go the (perhaps overly) polite Anglo-American route of saying "thanks", your bread will be handed to you, nicely wrapped, but whole.



Sunday, 9 December 2012

Interesting Blogs about People that Want To Learn French

At our I Want To Learn French webpage (http://ebestlanguagelearningsoftware.com/i-want-to-learn-french/), we give you some good reasons why learning French is useful.

Of course, we aren't the only blog around about learning French.

Here is a list of other interesting blogs about people that also want to learn French:

The Aztec Account of the Spanish Invasion

At our Mexican Language website, we explain how Mexican Spanish is heavily influenced by Aztec and other languages which still survive and are officially recognised by the Mexican Government.


Did you know that the Aztecs wrote an account of the Spanish invasion?

Here is an excerpt from a very interesting article:

An Aztec account of the Conquest of Mexico? Preposterous.
It is common knowledge that those manuscripts that escaped destruction by the Conquistadors were gathered up under the direction of the first Archbishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumarrga, and reduced to ashes. In " The Conquest of Mexico," which remains the classic account of the event in English, William H. Prescott writes: "None of the Aztec compositions have survived." He does mention the name Sahagun and says that he is aware that some of his translations of Aztec prose still exist, but does not pursue the matter.