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Think in Italian

Posted by Teddy Nee on October 22, 2022

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Learn Chinese Mandarin with Cecilia Chen

Posted by Teddy Nee on March 29, 2022

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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.

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.

Nauruan Language

The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a two-day event promoting the Asia-Pacific culture in the capital city of Taiwan, Taipei City, on September 28-29th. The participants come from the Solomon Islands, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, Vietnam, Tuvalu, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand, Palau, Nauru, Malaysia, Kiribati, Japan, Indonesia, India, Fiji, and Brunei. Apart from performing dances from each country, the participants also displayed a wide variety of handicrafts and artworks as well as authentic cuisine at each country's booth.

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.

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.

Fast way to learn Tamil alphabet

I have wanted to learn Tamil for a long time, but lack of motivation hindered my progress. I struggled to decide whether to learn the alphabet first or go straight to the conversation using romanization. I felt demotivated whenever I looked at the alphabet chart. The Tamil alphabet has 13 vowels and 18 consonants, and many combinations of these vowels and consonants. I thought to myself how am I going to remember all of this?

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...

Medan Hokkien

Medan Hokkien is a vibrant and distinct dialect of the Hokkien language, primarily spoken by the Chinese Indonesian community in Medan, the capital city of North Sumatra, Indonesia. This dialect is a testament to the region's rich cultural tapestry, reflecting a history of migration, trade, and cultural exchange. History Medan Hokkien's roots can be traced back to the Hokkien-speaking areas of Southern Fujian province in China, particularly the Zhangzhou region. The dialect evolved significantly, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries when trade between the eastern coasts of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula flourished. The influx of Chinese laborers, mainly from Penang, brought the Hokkien dialect, which mingled with the local languages and customs, giving rise to the unique variant we know today as Medan Hokkien. Medan Hokkien is a means of communication and a carrier of cultural identity for the Chinese Indonesian community. It encapsulates the history of migration, the...

The Beauty of Chinese Character

People who have studied Chinese must realize that Chinese character is not just a character, but it is also an art. Every stroke in the character forms a beautiful combination of a meaning. It is said that Chinese character evolves from time to time based on the actual object. Although I cannot say that it is 100% true, there are books about Chinese pictogram. For example, you can see below how "sun" and "moon" was written in the past and the evolution of it until nowadays. Characters 日 and 月, on far right, are the characters used today.

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.

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