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Black Girls Learn Languages

A multi-platform digital community for Black women who love languages.

1/25/2020

5 Reasons You're Not Learning The Language


Hola linguistas,

Are you having trouble learning your target language and can't seem to figure out why? Then check out my latest video where I share 5 reasons why you may be having trouble learning your target language.

Have you overcome being stumped by some concepts in your target language? How did you overcome them? Let me know in the comments below. 

Xoxo,



Language Bae
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language hacks, language learning, language learning tips, language tips, language tips and tricks, language tricks
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1/18/2020

8 Ways To Seem Fluent


Hola linguistas,

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt like your language skills needed to be a little bit better than where they currently are? Maybe you had an impromptu interview or networking opportunity? An oral exam? Date with a hot guy? And yes, dates with hot guys are a thing.

Even to seem a little more fluent than you are, there is still a level of preparedness you have to have. Check out my latest YouTube video above, where I share tips that have helped me come across as more fluent than my actual level.

Do you have any tips or tricks that have helped you seem more fluent? Don’t be shy! Share with other readers in the comments below.

Xoxo,



Language Bae
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1/10/2020

How To Keep It Simple With Language Learning


Hola linguistas,

How is your language learning going so far? I know that language learning can sometimes feel overwhelming. Have you ever felt like you bit off more than you can chew? Or maybe things have gotten too complicated? Check out my latest YouTube video, where I share some tips on how to keep it simple, so that you don't lose focus or motivation.


Do you have any tips that help you keep things simple on your language learning journey? Don't be afraid to share in the comments below! Remember, your comments help other language learners who peruse the site and watch the videos as well. 

Xoxo,



Language Bae 
*This video was inspired by a blog post from Black N Bilingual.
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1/06/2020

He‘s A Japanese Speaking Emmy Nominee!


Meet Dexter Thomas, a Fulbright scholar who has contributed to Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage while working with the Los Angeles Times and has been nominated for an Emmy! You probably know him best as an On-Air Correspondent with Vice News Tonight on HBO. I remember coming across a video of him and Ike Nwala (a Nigerian-American comedian who is Japan’s biggest sensation), speaking in Japanese. I just knew he had a story to tell. Read more to find out more about his love for languages and tips on how to become fluent. 
BGLL: Thanks so much for agreeing to be interviewed and being open to sharing your story! Tell us about yourself. 

Dexter: My name is Dexter Thomas and I was born and raised in San Bernardino, California. I have a Bachelor’s in English with a minor in Spanish and Japanese. I studied at Waseda University in Japan for a total of about 3 years, including 1 of those years as a visiting Fulbright scholar. Right now, I’m finishing up my PhD in East Asian Studies at Cornell University. Currently, I am an On-Air Correspondent on Vice News Tonight on HBO. I speak English, Japanese and varying degrees of fluency in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.  

BGLL: What made you want to learn those languages?

Dexter: I started getting serious about Japanese just before I went to Japan to study Japanese hip-hop culture, which I later turned into a graduate student career as a PhD student in East Asian Studies at Cornell. Nowadays, I use it in my dissertation work, in everything from analyzing lyrics to reading philosophy or history books in Japanese. I also do some reporting in Japanese, so I’ll occasionally do interviews on camera in Japanese as well. But it’s also pretty much part of my life – listening to rap music is pretty fun, a lot of my favorite YouTubers are Japanese, and all of my devices (Xbox, phone, etc.) are set to Japanese, so it doesn’t really even occur to me that I’m using another language unless someone else points it out. Nowadays I only speak Japanese once every 5-6 months or so, but it usually comes back pretty quickly.

Chinese is a little more rare – I only lived in China for 3-4 months, and that was ten years ago! So, I’ll occasionally have short conversations, but most of my interaction is through reading (slowly), and texting. There is some crossover with Japanese, so that helps a little, I’m sure. Spanish is pretty much all around you if you live in Los Angeles, but I recently started playing Legend of Zelda in Spanish, just to get my level up. I also learned Hangul (written Korean) a couple weeks ago, which is almost completely useless to me because I don’t speak Korean at all, but it’s fun to be able to sound out things on Korean menus before I order.
BGLL: Did you ever feel shy to speak those other languages? How did you overcome it?

Dexter: Absolutely! Especially in the beginning, and even nowadays, if I haven’t used the language for a while, I’ll get a little quiet while I try to readjust. I’m also kind of a perfectionist, which I think is a bit of a double-edged sword. Sometimes you just need to make mistakes! I’ve also tried recording my voice and listening to it. It’s painful, but it can help you recognize any mistakes you’re making. For example, most English speakers sound like they’re riding a rollercoaster when they speak Japanese – your intonation is up, down, and all over the place, whereas Japanese has a much more even, ‘flat’ tone. I didn’t realize that until I listened to myself and compared it to a native speaker. But in general, people just want to communicate, so as long as you’re being friendly, people don’t really mind if you mess up now and again.
BGLL: What do you think helped you the most with learning languages?

Dexter: People say that immersion is the best way to learn a language. That’s partially true. There are two kinds of immersion – physical, and mental. It’s possible to physically be in a country, and not learn the language at all. Being mentally immersed is way more effective, and you can do that right in your own home. So here are three ways to do that: first, find a show you already like and know well, and watch it in your target language. I watched Dragon Ball in Japanese on repeat, and because I already knew the context, it was easy to figure out what was going on. That’s why I’m playing Legend of Zelda in Spanish – I already know what’s happening, so it’s easy to pick up on things. So, if you like Toy Story, and you’re learning German – you know what to do. Put it on repeat. You’ll be surprised how much you learn.
Next, switch all your digital accounts into the target language. Social media, email, iPhone settings, everything. You might think it’s too early, but it’s never too early. If I was to switch my iPhone into Korean right now, and opened up Gmail, I’d already know what ‘Inbox’ and ‘Send’ mean, because I know where the location of the buttons are. It’s an easy way to put a slight bit of pressure on yourself. Resist the temptation to turn it back for ‘serious’ things – this is serious
Lastly, have fun in your target language. If you like video games, play them in your target language. Find some musicians that sing in your target language. Find the lyrics and read along. If you want to learn to sew, look up a tutorial in your target language. It’s all about making it a part of your daily life.
By the way, I got all of this from alljapaneseallthetime.com. A big part of me thinking that I could learn another language to fluency was seeing Khatzumoto, the owner of that site, do it first. I’m also a big fan of Spaced Repetition Systems like Anki (ankiweb.net). I still use that program constantly.
BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social?

Dexter: My site is whatupdex.com, and you can follow me at @dexdigi on Instagram! I'm also working on a few new things that will be on TV (and audio) very soon.

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1/01/2020

Happy New Year! Let’s Talk About Reading Aloud For Fluency.


Remember those Language Arts classes in elementary school, when the teacher would make us take turns, reading passages aloud to the class? Well, reading aloud is not only helpful for improving your native language skills, it can help you become more fluent in your target language as well!

In this video, I share how reading aloud in my target language helped me and why it may be beneficial to you too!

Enjoy!

Besitos,

Language Bae
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About BGLL
Welcome to Black Girls Learn Languages, the FIRST multi-platform digital community for Black women who are passionate about languages.

On this site, you'll find resources to help you with different languages as well as interviews featuring successful black multilinginguals complete with their tips to keep you encouraged, inspired and motivated on your language learning journey!

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About The Creator




Hi, I'm Language Bae! I'm a Foreign Language Enthusiast and an aspiring Polyglot.

I created this digital community to be THE online resource for black women in the language community who are either language learners, language enthusiasts or linguistas--women who have mastered language. My goal is to inspire and encourage black women in the language community by celebrating images of us as multilinguals and allowing us to connect with each other.

I aim to provide guidance and support with helpful tips, resources and content to those pursuing multilingualism. Language learning is a journey not a destination. Let's make this journey together.

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  • ▼  2020 (40)
    • ►  July (5)
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    • ►  April (5)
    • ►  March (7)
    • ►  February (4)
    • ▼  January (5)
      • 5 Reasons You're Not Learning The Language
      • 8 Ways To Seem Fluent
      • How To Keep It Simple With Language Learning
      • He‘s A Japanese Speaking Emmy Nominee!
      • Happy New Year! Let’s Talk About Reading Aloud For...
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