This app seems really easy to use and is pretty enjoyable. The strong point here is that it uses visual and conceptual mnemonic strategies to help people retain information. I think this would be an easily accessible app, as the basic version is free for both android and ios, but there is also a pro version that produces better results and has unlimited access to all of the learning modes.
ArchChinese
ArchChinese is an online dictionary that allows users to search for words and get definitions, possible phrases, and animated stroke order for characters. The interface is easy to use and is ideal for someone who is beginning to study Chinese.
Mango Languages
Mango is great for anyone learning any language — unlike Duolingo, you can take a specific lesson in any order you wish. Use the Reed library login (instructions on the Language Lab website) for free access. It also has more fun lessons, such as ones that teach you Russian slang!
Taxi (DVD available at the IMC)
The famous Iranian director Jafar Panahi is currently on house arrest in Tehran and forbidden from making movies. So he plants a hidden camera in his car (you will spend the entire movie wondering if his passengers are actors or not!) as he drives around Tehran posing as a taxi driver. The pseudo-documentary he creates is as much an act of defiance against the censoring of the state, as it is a piece of art. Panahi portrays the insouciant and the devout, the young and the old, the smuggler and the moralist who somehow manage to poke fun at the overbearing Iranian regime and speak out although they are being silenced.
Algarabía
Algarabía is a Mexico City-based magazine with a distinct quirky and ironic style. They publish pieces on science, language, history, art, and, according to their website, “little explored aspects of cotidianity.” Examples of their articles (which can be found on their website) include “Position Changes in Erotic Art”, “People don’t know how to drink coffee”, and “The Science on Cursing”. Better suited for advanced Spanish learners, articles in this magazine are characterized by playful yet accessible prose. Their series on etymologies is particularly good; sometimes poignant, often hilarious, always informative.
Portland Community Resources
These are some resources to interact with language communities in Portland; maybe get out of the Reed bubble and practice some of your skills! Some organizations also host cultural events that don’t require any knowledge of the language.
Arab American Cultural Center of Oregon
This center partners with other cultural and religious groups that support the Arab and Middle Eastern community in the Portland metro area to sponsor events throughout the year. They hold a yearly Arab festival called Mahrajan.
Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
The Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association was established over 100 years ago to support the Chinese and Chinese American population of Portland. They offer language classes and cultural events. The CCBA offers tours of its small museum and building, constructed for the organization in 1911, by appointment.
Alliance Française de Portland
The Alliance Française de Portland provides French language lessons, cultural events, and meet-ups for French speakers in the Portland area. It is a branch of a national organization.
German American Society of Portland
The German American Society of Portland offers German classes for all ages, conversation groups, and German cultural events.
Zeitgeist Northwest
This Portland-based arts and cultural organization that offers German classes and hosts a film series. Their website features book reviews and articles in both English and German.
Russian Oregon Social Services
This organization was created to support economic self-sufficiency in the Russian-speaking population and particularly focuses on working with Russian-speaking women. One can easily get involved in help teach ESL courses, citizenship classes, volunteering by providing English translations for clinical needs, and even helping women who have experience domestic abuse.
El Hispanic News
This bilingual regional newspaper addresses international events as well as local concerns in Portland. Some articles show how the Portland community responds to an international problem. This newspaper aims to inform the Portland public about Latin American concerns, as provide Latinos with a newspaper that is accessible to them.
El Latino de Hoy
This newspaper informs the Spanish-speaking community about local, national, Latin American, and world news. Local news stories are posted every week, and several national and world news stories appear daily.
Portland VOZ
This organization supports day laborers and immigrant workers in Portland. The website provides updated information about the group’s initiatives, as well as informing people about how to be involved.
Portland Mercado
This new addition to the Portland community is a market with different food trucks that represent the culinary variety of Latin America. They host monthly events were local Hispanic vendors sell their food.
Radio, Podcasts, and other Audio – Media Resources 4
Welcome to the fourth installment of our media resources series! This post features a collection of audio resources suitable to a variety of skill-levels in the languages supported at Reed.
Arabic
Radio Aswat
This Moroccan radio station broadcasts news, cultural programming and sports in Arabic. Programs are available to stream live or to listen to later. The website also includes Arabic-language news stories.
Radio Sawa
This American-funded radio service has radio programs on topics from across the Arabic-speaking world. Programming includes music and news stories. Many programs are available to listen to online at any time, or you can stream live radio.
Airing Pods
These podcasts are perfect for beginners looking to listen to more of the language. They are free and downloadable through iTunes. Try out Survival Phrases!
BBC Xtra
The BBC has a daily 2-hr posting of Arabic culture and trending events. They speak slowly enough that intermediate learners could follow along, but would also be suitable for advanced learners.
Chinese
Slow Chinese
Slow Chinese podcasts are stories and commentary by native Mandarin speakers read at a slower pace. Accompanying transcripts make these podcasts useful for intermediate to advanced students interested in working on comprehension and reading. Podcasts are available for download, or you can subscribe to Slow Chinese on iTunes.
French
RFI
The international voice of French radio, RFI offers streaming and archived programming that is interesting to French speakers and learners outside of France. In addition to regular programming, RFI also offers a variety of audio options for French teachers and learners under RFI Savoirs. The website may start streaming immediately when you access it.
Radio France
Listen to French news, cultural, or music programming live online. There are a wide range of programs to choose from, as well as print stories with accompanying audio and video.
German
Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle is an international German news source, with both broadcast and written stories. In addition to offering news from a German perspective in dozens of languages, including both German and English, Deutsche Welle also provides resources for German language learners. They offer several podcasts, including Deutsch im Fokus, which explores spoken German idioms and vocabulary, and Top-Thema, news stories in simplified German with accompanying transcripts.
Russian
Russian Podcast
This is a language learning podcast appropriate for beginners to advanced students who want to review. Paid subscriptions provide transcripts of episodes, but the podcasts are free to listen to, and they also include free PDFs with vocabulary and other information.
Spanish
Radio Ambulante
Radio Ambulante is an award-winning podcast of stories from Latin America. The high production value and interesting subject matter make these stories compelling. Radio Ambulante is a good resource for intermediate and upper level Spanish learners. Translations are also available for many episodes.
La Rosa de los Vientos
This is a classic Spanish podcast. It is about mysteries of all kinds.
La Parroquia
This is one of the best podcasts about comedy–it really gets Spanish humor!
French graphic novels in the Reed College Library
Graphic novels are a huge form of popular media in France. Most French public libraries dedicate a large section to the bande dessinée alongside more typical forms of literature. French graphic novels have a flavor that is somehow both romantic and sordid, and a pace that runs much slower than a comparable American comic strip (the French are less concerned whether the story has a hero, follows an arc, or moves towards any resolution). They are typically very funny. Lucky for us, the Reed College library has several shelves of French bandes dessinées! For this blog, I read and reviewed four of them.
Most of the stories I read for this blog are in the realm of the fantastic, and I recommend going through slowly to absorb both images and the text. Sit down with a notebook and a dictionary, and plenty of time to take in both art and storytelling. These books are accessible to intermediate or advanced readers.
Finally, these graphic novels are a great source of new vocabulary since they include plenty of colloquialisms. A set of flashcards on Quizlet is linked below with my favorite words and phrases from the bandes dessinées I read.
https://quizlet.com/237885378/french-phrases-of-interest-flash-cards/
Les petits ruisseaux, Pascal Rabaté. 2006.
Call no. PN6747.R33 P48 2006
This story follows an old man named Emile who no longer finds much meaning in his old age. One day while out fishing, his best friend tells Emile to stop pitying himself and take full advantage of life while he can. Emile’s quiet life of solitude ends abruptly when he starts to take this advice. Do we assume that life and lust belong to the young? The tricks up his sleeve are predictable, but Emile’s character is compelling and it’s funny to see his sleazy side let loose. This bande dessinée won the Grand Prix de la Critique in 2007 from L’Association des Critiques et journalistes de Bande Dessinée (ACBD). It was made into a film in 2010.
Ici Même, Jean-Claude Forest et Jacques Tardi. 1979.
Call no. PN6747.F687 I35 2006
This is a strange fairy tale about a man who lives atop the walls surrounding a neighborhood. He is not allowed to descend or set foot on the land below. Arthur Même, as the man is called, walks a fine line between dignity and mania, satire and hyperbole, as he gatekeeps for the wealthy socialites beneath the walls. A boatman comes once a day to deliver mail, cheese and wine. These are Arthur’s only interactions. The plot is full of tropes (spies, an ancient inheritance, war between the families, and a love affair) but intriguing nonetheless for its oddity. The novel is in black and white.
Le Dérisoire, Olivier Supiot et Eric Omond. 2002.
Call no. PN6747.S85 D4 2002
Le Dérisoire is a mix between Moby Dick and Alice in Wonderland. It features a solitary captain on a derelict ship in the ocean, going nowhere, in despair about his situation and his inability to fix it. His crew are all skeletons, having died some time ago, yet somehow remaining on board the ship. It seems that nothing ever leaves the ship and the ship itself never leaves. The furnace at the heart of the ship has gone out, leaving only cold empty steel, but still it floats. And which of the characters are living? Into this drifting tapestry comes a phantom woman, Constance, who brings color and life onto the ship. Is she real? Is the ship? Is anyone? The graphic novel has a dreamy watercolor-like style and is beautiful enough that it doesn’t matter that the plot doesn’t make sense.
5 est le numéro parfait: 1994-2002, Igort, translated from Italian by Lidia Licari. 2002.
Call no. PN6767.I36 A6314 2002
This graphic novel was originally a three-part series that was later collected into one large volume. It follows a family in Naples embroiled in classic 50s-era mob drama. Think The Godfather–there’s shootouts in the woods, religious symbology, intimate family scenes, rivalries and backstabbing. The book moves quickly, lots of people get shot, and there is only one woman, the damsel in distress. This is a true Italian action comic, with a minimalist art style in grayscale and simple block colors. The author, who writes under the name Igort, has been at the center of the Italian comic scene for decades and published many other graphic novels. 5 est le numéro parfait is his most famous.
Copyright: All images taken from www.bedetheque.com/
“Les petits ruisseaux,” Pascal Rabaté. Futuropolis. 2006. https://www.bdgest.com/chronique-1530-BD-Petits-ruisseaux-Les-petits-ruisseaux.html?_ga=2.50200686.916534693.1512955637-12593617.1508988380
“Ici Même,” Jean-Claude Forest et Jacques Tardi. Casterman. 1979. https://www.bedetheque.com/serie-1684-BD-Ici-Meme.html
“Le Dérisoire” Olivier Supiot. Glénat. 2002. https://www.bedetheque.com/serie-6173-BD-Derisoire.html
“5 est le numéro parfait,” Igort. Casterman. 2002. https://www.bedetheque.com/serie-5200-BD-5-est-le-numero-parfait.html
Film/TV – Media Resources 5
Welcome to the fifth and final installment of our media resources series! This post features some recommended films and television series as well as streaming websites for content in the languages supported at Reed.
Kanopy Streaming
Kanopy is an online streaming website (like Netflix or Hulu) featuring a large number of films in many languages. Subscription is required, but is free and supplied through Reed. Simply select your institution (i.e., Reed College) and create a free account using an email address. Films are available in a total of 28 languages, including French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic. Most of the films on the website are classics: the Criterion Collection/Janus Films programme, for example, is offered. Films are spoken in the language of production, and many include subtitles in English or the original language.
Arabic
Wadjda (2015)
The first feature-length by a female Saudi director, this debut follows the life of Wadjda an 11-year old Saudi girl. She is unlike other girls in her class; she wears Converse shoes under her clothes, she aspires to ride a bike, something uncommon amongst girls, and has the wit to understand the very mature things happening around her. Wadjda strives to win a Quran recital competition to win enough money to buy a bike, so she can race her male friend. Along this journey of trying to win the competition she faces issues with her family and struggles with her identity.
Theeb/Wolf (2015)
This coming of age story concerns Theeb, the youngest of three sons who resides in a Bedouin community; a community of arab nomads with his two brothers. The movie takes place in 1916 during the Arab Revolt, a time when Arab nationalist sought independence from Ottoman Turks. One day in Theeb’s community a British army officer comes searching for a well to drink from. From there, when he tries to aid this officer, he is met with a series of unfortunate events that will ultimately lead him to travel through a desert with Hassan, the mercenary that has killed his brother. Theeb traverses the desert with great composure and dignity, knowing that Hassan needs him and he needs Hassan. When the journey ends can these two men trust each other or will there be hostility between them?
Chinese
花樣年華/In the Mood for Love (2001)
Set in 1962 Hong Kong, the film follows the lives of two couples in a small crevice of the city. The spectator is only ever are allowed to see the wife in one relationship, Li-zhen and the husband from the other relationship, Chow interact with each other. It becomes apparent to the audience as small pieces of evidence begin to build up that their spouses are having a relationship with each other. The two protagonists of the film are transfixed in a passionate sensorium trying to combat a multi-faceted loneliness aided by the cheating spouses, the bustling city, and the ambiguous stance of the protagonists’ relationship.
Stray Dogs (2014)
A Taiwanese family, composed of a father and his children are struggling to make ends meet in Taipei. The father makes a living by holding up a sign for a real estate company, while his children wander through a supermarket or the outskirts of the city. The movie is not conventionally filmed and edited, but is rather strung together with long shots that show the complexity of daily mundane occurrences. Though the family lacks a mother-figure, this figure presents itself in many forms, creating a sense of wholeness in the film. In what seems to be a post-apocalyptic setting of sorts, with the bleak weather conditions, and their human conditions, there are hidden silver linings.
French
M6
On the 6play website, you can gain free access to French television programs, including some French dubs of English shows like NCIS and Hawaii 5-0. You do have to create an account using your email or Facebook account. The website may play an ad with audio immediately when you access it.
Jules et Jim/Jules and Jim (1962)
Jules, an Austrian and Jim,a Frenchman are best friends who seek knowledge and beauty together through poetry, language, and women. One day they see a sculpture of a woman that embodies their ideals of beauty and travel to the Adriatic to find it and see it. They are completely taken aback when they meet this ideal of beauty in the flesh when they meet Catherine. The both fall in love with her; their friendship suspended in a love triangle. Questions of how and if their friendship can be preserved arise as Catherine is incapable of making up her mind in deciding who she loves more. The film is pulsating with life, keen insights into the things we consider sacred in relationships, and though in black and white embodies the spirit of French New Wave Cinema.
The African Doctor (2016)
A doctor from the Congo finds a job in rural France and brings his family to stay in a tiny town there. The movie deals with themes of racism, prejudice, and homesickness as it shows the ups and downs of moving into a foreign country. But it remains lighthearted with many funny moments, such as the doctor building his business by frequenting the local bar and getting drunk. All the characters are well-acted; humorous, sad, and ultimately triumphant–this is a family you’ll want to spend more time with. Based on a true story.
German
Leben der anderen/The Lives of Others (2006)
In this German melodrama, a member of the Stasi, Gerd Weisler who has dedicated his life to following and spying on those who might pose a threat to the government of East Germany suddenly becomes enveloped with the life of a playwright and his lover. He begins to care about these complete strangers, and tries to undermine the request of his government minister in order to protect these two innocent lives. A touch of humanism is revealed through the protagonist’s dedication to his own moral code, which he realizes overlaps with the lives of others. A sleek, riveting piece of cinema, one will be on the edge of their seat until the end.
Tatort
Tatort, a mystery/crime show, is one of Germany’s most popular TV-series, consisting of over one thousand episodes since its release in 1970. Episodes are individually produced by regional TV stations, featuring a variety of locations in the German-speaking world including Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne, Vienna, and even Switzerland. Although each location has its own characters and plots, nearly 30 full-length (90min) episodes are released each year, contributing to highly-developed stories and character relations. The level of German is fairly advanced, but the context and plot are easy to follow, and the variety of settings provides a good insight into regional dialects and accents.
Russian
Последний из Магикян (Last of the Magikyan)
All episodes available on Youtube. This sitcom follows a mixed Russian-Armenian family living in present day Moscow — comparable to Modern Family in its scope and silliness. An excellent resource for beginning students who want to start watching TV/films in Russian, as the dialogue is fairly easy to follow (children are often speaking) and context makes the simple plots easy to understand. The first episode is especially useful, as it deals with lots of beginning vocabulary — birthdays, smiles, nationalities, etc. A genuinely funny and heartfelt show about identity, family, and modern life.
Ivanovo Detstvo (Ivan’s Childhood) (1962)
Ivan’s Childhood opens with a dream—the film’s protagonist, 12-year-old Ivan Bondarev, runs around barefoot, chasing butterflies with his mother—before grounding itself into the harsh reality of World War II, where Ivan fights for the Soviet army as a frontline scout. The film continues in this non-linear fashion, where memories of serene family life are contrasted with the trauma of wartime life—although he is only a child, Ivan has experienced tremendous loss. Tarkovsky’s first feature film, Ivan’s Childhood joined a new genre of war films under the de-Stalinization of the late ‘50s and ‘60s, such as The Cranes Are Flying and Father of the Soldier—at a time when World War II was still a major influence on Soviet identity, these films moved away from the typical heroic and glorified post-war narratives and instead centered around the anguish and sorrow of Soviet citizens.
Spanish
Relatos Salvajes/Wild Tales (2015)
In this Argentine drama, the line between civilization and barbarism is constantly breached through a series of vignettes. Scenes of violence, dark humor, and witty dialogue make this a palpable and enjoyable film. If you don’t mind something macabre, and are perhaps an aficionado of Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, this is the movie for you.
El espíritu de la colmena (1973)
In naming this movie, the director was inspired by the “all-powerful, enigmatic and paradoxical being which bees obey and man’s reason has never been able to understand.” This movie centers on a little girl who becomes obsessed with Frankenstein and comes to believe he lives hidden at the edge of her sleepy Spanish town. Praised as one of the best Spanish movies of all time, “The Spirit of the Beehive” is slow paced and features many long yet stunning takes. The fact that the cinematographer was going blind during filming is a perfect way to explain the character of this movie, surreal, enigmatic, and paradoxical.
Pragda
Pragda is a film distribution company for Ibero-American films. Its film catalogue is updated and modern and includes a lot of information about each film. It’s a good place to start to find new Spanish-language movies!
Museums – Media Resources 2
Welcome to the second installment of our media resources series! This post directs you to various museum websites to begin exploring various cultures within the languages Reed supports.
Arabic
The National Bardo Museum
The National Bardo Museum in Tunis has collections spanning Tunisia’s Phoenician to Islamic history. The website is available in Arabic, French, and English. It features information about the museum and its collections, including extended information on 101 significant artifacts.
Biblioteca Alexandrina
This reimagined library of Alexandria holds a public library, museums, and research collections. The website, available in Arabic, French, and English, provides information about the various departments of the Biblioteca Alexandrina as well as events held in the space.
Mandarin
Forbidden City and Palace Museum
The Forbidden City is a massive palace complex in Beijing, dating originally from the fifteenth century. The Forbidden City is a popular tourist destination for both its palace architecture and for the collection of artifacts from the imperial period housed within the palace. The website, available in both Chinese and English, contains information about the palace, including virtual tours; digital views of the collection; and information about exhibits.
Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Shihuang
The tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first Qin emperor, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Thousands of unique sculptures of warriors and hundreds of horses made of terracotta were buried with the emperor in the third century BCE. The website of the museum, which is located in Xi’an, includes information about these finds.
French
Musée d’Orsay
This museum houses mostly French artwork from the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The website features information about the collection, including digital exhibits; information about topics like restoration and the history of the museum; and news and cultural events.
Musée du Louvre
The Louvre is one of the world’s largest museums, featuring cultural and artistic works for all over the world and from different time periods. The website allows you to search for specific works, look at the collections, or explore the history of the museum.
Musée Cluny
This is the national museum of the Middle Ages. The website gives pictures and context for works in a timeline or by themes. There’s also a section for resources, with links to other significant medieval sites and bibliography.
German
Die Pinakotheken im Kunstareal München
These are five of Munich’s most influential art museums, which showcase works dating from as early as the 13th century to the present-day. The website includes information about exhibits and
Haus der Kunst
Built by the Nazi regime, Haus der Kunst now houses modern, often controversial artworks from throughout the world. The website features information about exhibits as well as the history of the museum. One of the highlights of the website are the richly illustrated free PDF booklets on past exhibitions and artists.
Leopold Museum
This museum in Vienna exhibits modern and expressionist work from some of the most well-known Viennese artists of the 20th Century. The website includes an easy-to-navigate exploration of the masterpieces of the permanent collection.
Museuminsel
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Museum island in Berlin is comprised of five state museums and galleries known not only for the artworks on display but also for buildings’ architectural beauty, as well. The Altes Museum, Neues Museum, and Pergamonmuseum feature prehistoric to classical art; the Bode-Museumhouses Byzantine art, sculpture, and a numismatics collection, and the Alte Nationalgalerie features 19th-century painting.
Russian
The Hermitage
The Hermitage museum is the largest in Russia and one of the largest in the world, with collections from antiquities to post-impressionist art. The website features information on current exhibits and the ability to search the extensive collection or highlights of the collection
The Moscow Museum of Modern Art
This museum features 20th- and 21st-century art. The website provides information about the permanent collection and visiting exhibits. The museum also hosts an English-language lecture series.
Spanish
Museo Art Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires
MALBA focuses on Latin American artists as well as internationally acclaimed artists. The website includes great descriptions and pictures of current exhibitions, extensive online collections, and interactive videos.
Museo Guggenheim Bilbao
This branch of the Guggenheim museum in Spain features modern and contemporary art. The collection is available to view online, and there is also extensive information about current, future, and past exhibitions.
Museo Nacional de Antropología
This museum displays Mexico’s rich archaeological and ethnographic history. Some of the collection is available online, searchable by ethnic group or time period. The website also features cultural information about Mexico.
Museo del Prado
This museum in Madrid is renowned for its classical works by artists such as Goya and Velázquez. Masterpieces of their collection are available to explore online. There’s also information about current exhibits and research and educational materials.