Category: Media

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Interview with a French Tutor

Nina: How long have you been studying French?

K: Since 7th grade!

N: What is your favorite way of practicing?

K: Just talking to other people who speak French. When I went to New York, I heard a lot of people speaking French, and I would just walk up to them and start up a conversation. Really any time I hear someone speaking French I try to speak with them. Any other way of learning just isn’t as fun. It’s necessary of course, but it isn’t as entertaining.

N: Are you ever scared to mess up? Or talk to native speakers?

K: Sometimes, but generally no, because I’m never going to see these people ever again. Also, French people abroad are just excited to speak to someone in French.

N: What is your favorite form of French media?

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Easy Languages: Something for everyone!

Easy Languages is a YouTube channel, a resource, and most importantly a community for language speakers and learners all across the globe. From Swahili to Arabic to Russian to Esperanto and Greek and Spanish, Kazakh, Turkish and many more, the scale of resources available for language learners is immense! They describe themselves as so:

“We are a non-profit project aiming to help people learn languages through authentic street interviews. Our videos show local language and culture in natural, everyday situations – something you can’t find in regular media. Each episode has a specific topic and is produced in one of our many partner countries around the world – Mexico, France, Vietnam, Russia, Egypt, to name but a few. We add subtitles in both the local language and English so that regardless of your level, you will be able to hear, read and “see” the language in its local habitat.”

Easy Languages also cover regional and dialectical differences, and are updating their channels all the time with new languages, locations, and people! Below I have linked only the channels corresponding to languages taught at Reed, but you should check out their website whether the language you’re learning is offered at Reed or not: chances are they’ll have it!

So what do you think? Would you be interested in a Reed College version? Stay tuned…

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Beginner Arabic Youtube

Are you beginning to learn Arabic and in need of some fun and easy media to help boost your vocabulary? Look no further… !يالله

  1. All About Me

Tareq and Shireen are learning how to be kind and considerate friends! Tune in if you’re looking to fill your vocabulary with wholesome terms about friendship and sharing.

2. Arabic Fairytales

Arabic retellings of classic fairytales using simple language and helpful subtitles.

3. Totally Spies! Arabic

Subtitled episodes of Totally Spies! dubbed in Arabic! Ideal if you need something more sophisticated than fairytales.

4. Obayd Fox

Obayd Fox is a British Youtuber living in Saudi Arabia. As a fellow Arabic learner (albeit an advanced one), he tends to speak slightly more slowly than a native, and he usually uses الفصه 🙂

5. Learn Arabic with Khasu

Khasu is also an Arabic learner and a very talented teacher. His channel includes roleplays, skits, vocab lessons, and breakdowns of grammatical concepts.

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Spanish-Language Hip Hop

Hip Hop turned 50 in August of this year! The iconic music form originated in New York City, specifically the Bronx in predominantly Black and Brown communities. Puerto Rican New Yorkers, fondly known as Nuyoricans, were and still are immensely influential in the development of Hip Hop. Although the majority of old school and newer Hip Hop is a largely AAVE and English-based genre, Spanish language Hip Hop has been around for almost as long as the mother genre and has often included Spanglish influence. Via cassettes and bootlegs of songs recorded in NYC and other places around the US, the genre spread to Spain and Latin America throughout the 80s and 90s. 

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Kali Uchis Could Help You Learn Spanish!

Kali Uchis is a Colombian-American singer and songwriter with four albums and various EPs and singles in her discography. Uchi’s two earliest albums, Por Vida and Isolation, are primarily in English but are heavily influenced by Latin R&B, soul, psychedelic soul, and Latin American Boleros. For anyone learning Spanish, these earlier albums might improve your cultural fluency with modern Latin music and musicians. Likewise, for someone at a 200-400 level in Spanish, Uchis’ two most recent albums Sin Miedo (del amor y otros demonios) and Red Moon in Venus, are a great way to immerse yourself in gooey eclectic bilingual love-stricken bops that tease with verses flowing between Spanish, English, and Spanglish. If you’re struggling to understand the fast-paced lyrics of musicians such as Bad Bunny or even Rosalia, Kali Uchis might be the girl for you. Her slow hooks and unique take on reggaeton make you want to play her discography on repeat. Rumor has it that Uchis will be releasing her fourth studio album very soon so get ahead of the trend while you’re at it! Feel free to check out her socials if you need some more convincing 😉
Gracias y buena suerte!

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Pain and Growth and Growing Pains in La vita bugiardi degli adulti

Lately I listen almost exclusively to Massive Attack. This is partly because they’re a great band and I love their music, but I’d be lying if it wasn’t also largely out of a burning desire to embody some of the coolness radiated by Giovanna, also known as Giovà or Giannina, the brooding and complex heroine of La vita bugiardi degli adulti (The Lying Lives of Adults), a recent Netflix interpretation of Elena Ferrante’s novel of the same name.

Giordana Marengo as Giovanna in La vita bugiardi degli adulti on Netflix
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La Naissance du Hip Hop – MC Solaar’s Revolutionary Legacy

When most people think of Hip Hop as a genre or as a cultural movement, they (rightly) think of New York City. This subculture was born in the Black community of the South Bronx, and quickly spread to other parts of the city, then the country, and within a few years, Hip Hop was iterated in some form almost everywhere in the world.

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five are often credited as the among the first artists whose music was recognised as “Hip Hop”
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The Blue Caftan: A Moving Arabic Film

The Blue Caftan premiered at the 2022 Cannes Festival.

Last month, I saw one of the most moving films. I went into it completely blind—my friends had asked if I wanted to come along to a film festival and I said yes, knowing nothing about what film we’d be watching. Before the show started, commentators talked a bit about Morocco, and the history of the film festival we were at, The Cascade Festival of African Films.

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What is the future of AI in language learning?

The four images DALLE2 created in response to the prompt, “the future of AI in language learning”. AI image generation is known to struggle with word creation (as is obvious above).

The age of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about a new era of technological advancements to the world, and the impact of AI on language learning is no exception. AI is already being used in language learning applications and programs, and the future of AI in language learning looks even brighter. In this article, we will explore the current state of AI in language learning, the potential future of AI in language learning, and the potential benefits and challenges that AI can bring to this field.

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