Category: General Languages

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Tutor interviews: Sara Tapalova (Russian)

D: Hi Sara! Please introduce yourself to those who don’t know you.

S: My name is Sara and I’m a junior physics major. I’m a native Russian speaker, which is the main reason why I ended up as a Russian tutor. I was born and raised in Central Asia, so I was brought up in a very bilingual environment – I’ve been speaking Russian and Kazakh since I was a little baby, and if you asked me to choose a “first language” I wouldn’t be able to tell you… I started learning English when I was 6, so I know how to empathise with language-learners. If you feel nervous or embarrassed about mistakes, don’t be! I’ve been there too and I know how hard it is.

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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!

Banner of Latin American flags and flowers, text reading "Hispanic Heritage Month"

Hispanic Heritage Month starts today, September 15! Learning a language is more than memorizing grammar and vocabulary—it’s about connecting with people and cultures from around the world. Hispanic Heritage Month occurs every year from September 15 to October 15, in commemoration of the many independence days and national celebrations across Latin America. Whether it’s meeting new friends at Spanish House’s weekly events, celebrating with Latinx Student Union, or engaging with the Hispanic community in Portland, here are some ways to celebrate Hispanic culture all month long!

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LANGUAGE LAB AT REED RESOURCE EXPO

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 11:30-1:30, QUAD (KAUL IN CASE OF RAIN)

You heard right. Get excited: the Language Labbies shall be attending the ball (Reed Student Resource Expo)! Ourselves and (of course) Pulpi the octopus will be tabling at the expo to show you all — student, staff, and faculty — the wonders of our humble oasis in the basement of the library.

If our mere presence is not enough to summon you, we offer you the chance to voice your opinion and maybe win a prize in our recommendation raffle! Also, the event is great way to learn more about the resources available to students in general, and free food will be provided.

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Patricio’s Last Recommendations…

Sadly I am graduating, so this will be my last blog post 🙁 Before I leave, I wanted to give everyone some media recommendations as well as some advice on things to do with the time you have left at Reed.

Go to the language conversations groups! If you have not gone to them yet, you really should. I met some of my best friends at both Pause Café and Sobremesa (which fun fact was previously called Picadita). These groups are such a unique resource that you will likely not find after Reed. Think about it, it’s a chance to meet new people by immersing yourself in the language you’re learning while eating free food! Which is usually delicious as the language scholars are amazing. Seriously, if you haven’t met them yet you should. And new ones come each year, so you get a clean slate next semester!

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Language Laddering with Duolingo

Perhaps we at the Language Lab have been too harsh on Duolingo—it can’t all be bad. While I believe that learning a language from a (human) speaker of the target language works the best for me, there are still ways to use Duolingo in a way that complements what I learn in a classroom. I’ve found that Duolingo can be an effective way to try out the language laddering technique. Language laddering is when you use your second language to learn a third. For example, as a native English speaker, I could use French to learn Chinese. This technique takes your native language out of the equation entirely. Not only will you build skills in your third language, but it strengthens what you already know in your second language. For anyone with dreams of becoming a polyglot, this technique may work well for you!

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Beginner-friendly French songs!

Listening to music in French is a great strategy to absorb more of the language throughout your day. For beginners just starting out your adventures into the world of Francophone music, I found this album, Non Ouais! by Pink Martini (which fun fact – originates from Portland!). This album is well-suited for beginning French learners, as it has simple grammar, clear pronunciation, and familiar vocabulary. You might be surprised with how much you can understand! Here are two of the most popular songs to give you a taste:

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Why even bother learning languages?

Es ist so einsam im Sattel seit das Pferd tot ist. That’s what my German step-mom’s Whatsapp status used to say. The sentence translates to “It’s so lonely on the saddle since the horse is dead”, so during my German-learning journey I thought to myself, it must be some sort of figure of speech! But it’s not. It means the same thing in German as it does in English. Learning languages independently though apps is tricky because the meaning behind language is put through conversation. Language is used when catching up with a friend, or through an author telling the reader a story. This type of connection is impossible to establish when taking online courses with Duolingo. Here at Reed we have such an amazing resource to put this meaning behind language: Language courses! As my time at Reed comes to an end, I would like to recommend to everyone that can to take a language class, as it’s one of the most enriching experiences Reed has to offer. Here’s why:

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Why I’m taking language courses for fun, and you should too!

I LOVE the French pronoun triangle!

When I tell people I’m taking Beginning Chinese, the first thing everyone says is “Why?” It’s not a requirement—I’m taking it for fun! Learning French and Chinese at Reed has been the highlight of my time here. For both languages I started taking classes with zero experience—my first times saying Bonjour and 你好 were here at Reed! It was certainly difficult and still is, but I couldn’t imagine learning these languages all on my own. I’ve loved my language classes so much that I’m planning to take another one next year. Read on to find out why I find Reed’s language courses so special, and why I think you should consider registering for one next year!

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