Nee's Language Blog

Search This Blog

Posts

Find a teacher

Build Vocabulary First: A Smoother Path to Reading Arabic

Posted by Teddy Nee on March 01, 2026

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Videos

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Teddy Nee

Visit profile

Languages

English
Bahasa Indonesia
ملايو
中文
Español
Esperanto
Português
Français
Italiano
Kreyòl Ayisyen
Tok Pisin
Basa Jawa

Translate

iRent 24 Hour Car Rental

Referral Code ir2915716

Labels

abjad
abugida
academia
accent
activity
advantage
affiliate
africa
african
afrikaans

albanian
alien
alphabet
america
american sign language
amis
ancient
antique
arab
arabic
aramaic
artificial
arts
asia
asian
audio
austronesian
auxiliary
balinese
baltic
bangladesh
batak
batan
batanes
baybayin
belize
bilingual
book
brahmi
british
brunei
bulgarian
burmese
cambodia
canada
canadian
cantonese
catalan
Cecilia Chen
central asia
certificate
challenge
chavacano
children
chile
china
chinese
civilization
class
colonization
communication
community
computer
conference
congress
conlang
constructed
conversation
creole
culture
cursive
czech
danish
deaf
development
discussion
disparity
duolingo
dutch
east asia
education
elefen
embassy
empire
employment
english
esperanto
ethnic
etymology
europe
european
event
evolution
exam
exchange
experience
family
fantasy
fiction
filipino
finnish
foreign
foreigners
french
friendship
fujianese
galician
gathering
german
germanic
gesture
gilbertese
global
globalization
glossika
government
grammar
greek
guest post
haiti
haitian creole
hakka
hebrew
heritage
hindi
history
hobby
hokkien
hungarian
icon
identity
ielts
immigration
india
indian
indonesia
indonesian
international
internet
interslavic
interview
introduction
invention
irish
israel
italian
italki
japanese
javanese
jawi
jennai
jewish
job
kazakh
kiribatese
klingon
knowledge
korean
kriol
kyrgyz
language
latin
latvian
law
learning
lfn
linguist
linguistics
listen
listening
lithuanian
lontara
macau
malay
malayalam
malaysia
mandarin
market
marshallese
medan
medical
meetup
melanesia
memorization
mentality
method
methodology
middle east
mind
mindset
minority
mirandese
misconception
money
mongolian
montenegrin
motivation
multilingual
multilingualism
myanmar
nauruan
nepali
netherlands
news
nigeria
north sumatera
norwegian
official
online
outerspace
overseas
pacific
palauan
pangcah
party
penang
persian
personality
perspective
philippines
phrase
phrasebook
pingtung
poland
polish
politician
politics
polyglot
polynesia
portuguese
power
presentation
professional
pronunciation
quechua
read
reading
reason
refugees
religion
research
resources
review
reward
rohingya
romance
romanian
russian
salary
samoan
sanskrit
school
sentence
serbian
service
sichuanese
sign
sign language
silk road
singapore
sinhala
sitelen emoji
slang
slavic
social media
society
solomon islands
song
south africa
south america
south asia
south east asia
southeast
southeast asia
southern china
spanish
speak
speaking
startup
statistics
story
study
sumatera
sundanese
swahili
swazi
sweden
swedish
swiss
switzerland
system
tagalog
taipei
taiwan
taiwanese
tamil
taoyuan
teacher
teaching
technology
text
thai
thailand
theory
tibetan
toefl
tok pisin
toki pona
tool
touch
tourism
translated
translated arabic
translated burmese
translated czech
translated dutch
translated finnish
translated german
translated italian
translated japanese
translated kazakh
translated korean
translated latvian
translated lithuanian
translated mongolian
translated nepali
translated persian
translated polish
translated portuguese
translated romanian
translated russian
translated sinhala
translated spanish
translated swedish
translated tagalog
translated tamil
translated thai
translated turkish
translation
translator
travel
turkic
turkish
turkmen
tuvalu
tuvaluan
ukrainian
universal
urdu
video
vietnam
vietnamese
virtual
visual
Viva
vocabulary
welsh
western
word
world
writing
zulu

Show more Show less

Subscribe to our mailing list

Online courses

Read my books

Achievements

Since March 24th, 2013

Donation

Learn Chinese Mandarin with Cecilia Chen

Shop

NLB merchandise
by Nee's Store

Friends

Cesco Reale

-
GMAT Coach

-

9 Multilingual News Websites For Reading Practice

Learners learn languages in many different ways, such as attending language classes, playing games, or listening to audio. Whatever the methods are, they usually cover four aspects of language learning: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Mastering only one or two of these is not enough because, in reality, we read, listen, speak, and write.

Usefulness of Southeast Asian Languages in Taiwan

Taiwan has become a hub for Southeast Asian workers, students, and businesses. Languages such as Vietnamese, Tagalog, Indonesian, and Thai are increasingly important in daily life and in the job market. Workforce Many migrant workers in Taiwan come from Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. This creates demand for communication in these languages in industries like manufacturing, caregiving, and construction. Government Policy Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy promotes closer ties with Southeast Asia. The Ministry of Education has run language programs since 2017, teaching over 30,000 students Indonesian, Thai, Malay, Burmese, and Vietnamese languages. These classes now include professional vocabulary for business and trade. Job Market Demand Job postings in Taiwan show clear demand for Southeast Asian language skills. For example: Philippine Airlines in Taipei hires customer service staff fluent in Tagalog. Translation, customer service, and trade companies list vacancies re...

6 Local Writing Systems in Indonesia

Indonesia is a vast country in Southeast Asia that anyone can recognize easily on the map because it borders the sea, thus its country border is also the sea border. Hundreds of ethnic groups and languages exist in Indonesia. Despite having numerous writing systems, the government recognizes the Latin alphabet as the official writing system, which was introduced during the colonization by the Europeans.

I speak 4 languages in Penang Malaysia and I shall learn 1 more language

I spoke 4 languages: Hokkien, Indonesian, English, and Mandarin on my recent trip to Penang. There was no communication barrier since the Penangnites are mostly multilingual too, at least, they know a bit of each language. They are also familiar with the Indonesian language because of the many tourists from Indonesia, either for tourism or medical checkups. I had learnt Tamil before but it was not enough for me to have a conversation yet. I will learn Tamil more seriously from now on, so I can use it on my next trip to Penang.

The Importance of Heritage Language for Chinese Indonesians

Knowing their heritage language is very important for Chinese Indonesians. These languages, like Hokkien, Hakka, and Cantonese, connect people to their culture and history. Heritage languages carry traditions, stories, and values that have been passed down for generations. When Chinese Indonesians speak their heritage language, they keep their culture alive. This helps younger generations understand their roots and feel proud of their identity. Once their native language is not Chinese, they tend to think differently from the Chinese. For many families, speaking a heritage language is a way to connect with older relatives. It allows children to communicate with grandparents and learn about family history. This strengthens family ties and creates a sense of belonging. The society in which they live frequently causes the younger generations to have a linguistic and even religious divide with their elders. Knowing a heritage language can open doors in business and social settings. Many bu...

A unique group of Chinese Indonesian: Why are they still able to converse fluently in Hokkien after most areas have been "Indonesianized"?

Before visiting Medan, Indonesia, like many non-Indonesians who have never visited Medan, I thought that the local Chinese were highly Indonesianized, just like other parts of Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung. Therefore, when I visited Medan for the first time in 2009, I was deeply surprised by the fact that most of the local Chinese, including children, speak fluent Hokkien, as Hokkien is also my father's native dialect.

The Importance of Knowing Medan Hokkien for International Communication

Knowing Medan Hokkien can be very beneficial for communication, especially in international settings. Medan Hokkien is a dialect spoken by many Chinese Indonesians, and it connects people across different cultures. Medan Hokkien helps connect Chinese Indonesians with their roots. Many people from Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore also speak Hokkien. Knowing this language allows for better communication with these communities, making it easier to build friendships and partnerships. In today’s global market, speaking Medan Hokkien can open doors to business opportunities. Many companies in Southeast Asia value employees who can communicate in local languages. There is a saying in Hokkien, "kaki lang (our people)," indicating Hokkien people's uniqueness and solidarity to strengthen their community. Language is a big part of culture. By learning Medan Hokkien, individuals can better understand the hundred-year-old traditions and values of Medan Hokkien-speaking communities that...

Chavacano language: The Spanish language of Asia

Chavacano is a Spanish-based Creole language spoken primarily in Zamboanga City and parts of the Philippines. Originating during the Spanish colonial era, it blends Spanish vocabulary with local Philippine languages like Tagalog and Cebuano. Approximately 70% of its lexicon comes from Spanish, yet it features unique grammatical structures. Chavacano is a vital cultural identifier for its speakers and is used in local media and education. Despite challenges from dominant languages like Tagalog and English, efforts to preserve and promote Chavacano continue, highlighting its importance in the Philippines' linguistic heritage. I had the chance to learn this beautiful language on a language-learning platform called Italki. My teacher was the only Chavacano teacher so I felt fortunate to have found her. I find this language easy to learn because I already know Spanish. Chavacano sounds like the Filipino version of the Spanish language.

5 Famous Polyglots and Their Learning Techniques

You may have watched videos of people speaking in multiple languages. Some of them even call themselves hyperpolyglots. Whether they really can speak fluently or not, we don't know unless we test them. However, here I shall present 5 renowned polyglots that have been on the news, in the community worldwide and have proved their exceptional linguistic capabilities.

Unlocking the Secrets of Hyperpolyglots: How to Master Multiple Languages with Ease

In a world where communication bridges cultures and opens doors to new opportunities, the ability to speak multiple languages is a desirable skill. But what if you could go beyond bilingualism or trilingualism and become a hyperpolyglot (someone who fluently speaks six, ten, or even twenty languages)? Hyperpolyglots are not born with extraordinary abilities, they are made through dedication, strategy, and a deep love for learning. Languages can be similar or the same in various ways, such as through shared vocabulary, grammar, or historical roots. In this article, you'll find out some examples of similar or same languages that you can learn in a short time: 1. Mutually Intelligible Languages Spanish and Portuguese: Speakers of these two Romance languages can often understand each other to some extent, especially in written form. Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish: These Scandinavian languages are mutually intelligible to a significant degree, though pronunciation differences can make u...

Posts

Find a teacher

Random posts

Videos

Contact Form