English and German are both members of the Germanic language family. All modern forms of these languages originated from a common ancestor language spoken in the region of modern-day Scandinavia roughy 2500 years ago. Linguists call this language Proto-Germanic. To demonstrate the similarities between these languages here are a few examples of the word apple:
apple (English), äpple (Swedish), Appel (Low German), Apfel (High German), æble (Danish)
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Learning a language today has never been easier for those who are unable to go and live in a foreign country to study their target language. There are numerous online resources available to help with listening and comprehension skills as well as to practice verb conjugations and build vocabulary. The challenge can be filtering through these resources to find the best ones. Below are my recommendations of podcasts, websites and apps that can serve as excellent supplemental materials. All sources are free unless otherwise indicated.Below are my recommendations of podcasts, websites and apps that can serve as excellent supplemental materials. All sources are free unless otherwise indicated.
Read moreCowboys of Argentina and Uruguay are called gauchos in Spanish. These are men that live and work their whole lives on the open plains, or pampas, of South America. They have for many generations represented the liberty and romance of this harsh landscape. Although there are not as many of them as in the past they are still viewed as a strong national emblem of their respective countries.
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When learning a new language there are always those words that you just can’t seem to keep straight. They generally look or sound similar to each other and lead to recurring confusion and frustration. Here is a sampling of a list of commonly confused words I have put together for the use of my students.
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