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A 2013 report by British Council, titled “Languages for the Future” identified Spanish as the most important language UK nationals should learn. There are about 400 million native Spanish speakers in the world, making it the second most widely spoken language, holding an official language status in 21 different countries. The overall Spanish speaking population continues to grow in quantity as…

Want to learn a new language but feel daunted or unsure where to begin? You don't need any special talent or a "language gene," says Lýdia Machová. Lydia Machova talks about her practices of learning a language. She says,  "We have no shortcut to learning languages". But we do have certain techniques and ways to learn a new language. 1. Start with the 100 most common words: Make a list of common…

It is helpful to so many language learners as it enables you to take a moment to step back and see the learning process from a higher level. A large task is achieved step by step, so it is useful to break down the overall task into many smaller, focused parts that you can tackle one by one. This might sound obvious, but it is a simple hack often ignored. De-construct your learning goals into…

Thanks to available research, we can now understand how learning new languages helps us improve our communication with others. We establish better relationships, create a sense of self, spur our cognitive development and express who we are; all very integral aspects of being human. And given the opportunity, this of particular importance for children. Language learning is a great way to prepare…

In our last article, we discussed the meaningful benefits that can be brought to one’s career that comes with picking up a new language. Stronger Memory Languages are informed by their cultures. Learning the grammar rules of a new language is tough in the beginning because they don’t perfectly correspond with the grammar rules of your mother tongue — the language that you think in — and therefore…

In what ways will a second, third or even fourth language benefit your career? Grow your networks The most straightforward answer is that picking up a new language would open you up to entirely new circles of people that you were previously unable to communicate with. They could be clients in addition to potential business partners; also, not forgetting fellow learners of the same language that…

Across Asia, there is a condiment brown in color, salty in flavor, and varied in its many forms throughout the different regions. Are they all distinct from one another, or are they simply the same sauce, but with different names? This article attempts to compare them all: Chinese origin Soy sauce, or jiang you, has its roots in ancient China, whereupon using salt to preserve meat and fish…

Coming from a previous article we did about ways to say “good luck” in different languages. Maneki-neko The white ceramic cat with its raised paw you see in our header photo is the maneki-neko (招き猫), “beckoning cat”. That’s what the raised paw is doing, and depending on the product manufacturer, a number of these figures do have a motorized paw beckoning at you. If you’ve been to local stores in…

The Bing Sutt Bing sutt, the Cantonese reading of the characters “冰室” — meaning “ice” and “room” — were the original incarnations of cha chaan teng’s. They were first spotted around the 1940s, when the city was still under the rule of the British colonial empire. Influenced by the British customs of afternoon tea, bing sutt’s served a wide variety of drinks and light snacks such as baked goods and…

How about we compare this to traditions that take place on a different but similar ghostly festival in Chinese culture — the Ghost Month and the Ghost Festival? Halloween While Halloween isn’t a public holiday in Hong Kong, its associated traditions have spread from the West over to Asia, and here, themed festivities can be spotted decorating shopping districts like Causeway Bay. Mostly, shops and…

As some food for thought, this week’s article consider the literal meaning behind these world phrases that I’ve personally picked up over the years. Good Luck! “Good luck” is the term for went you want to wish someone the best for an upcoming activity that is going to require quite some effort. On top of that person giving their all in terms of personal effort, we as the giver of such a message…

Artist vs. Artiste This is one of the most challenging pairs because their respective meanings are also very similar. We see the first word “artist” very often. It’s an umbrella term used to refer to people who create art. And as art is as varied as it is in form and medium, people who are painters, sculptors, illustrators and more are also known as “artists”. “Artiste” refers similarly to…

Our last article covered the top dishes in the island country.The following are popular dishes that have originated from two big Chinese ethnic groups in Singapore — the Hokkien “福建” (fu jian) and the Teochew “潮州” (chao zhou). Most of these people have ancestral roots in south-eastern China, in the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong respectively. Bak Kut Teh The characters for bak kut teh is…

A hawker centre is a large eating space with multiple rows of food stalls and free seating scattered about the place. In this article, we’re introducing you to three of the unique Singaporean dishes that we guarantee is available in every single hawker centre there is in the country. Nasi Lemak “Nasi lemak” is a dish of Malay origin. The two words mean “rice” and “rich”, but rich in the…

We wear clothing, be it tops, bottoms, shoes, glasses, hats, or cologne. Even though the physical action may vary for each item — shirts and hats are pulled downwards, pants are pulled upwards, glasses are put on and so on, we have the option of describing them all with the same verb — “wear”. However, in regards to the same situation, Japanese has at least eight different ways to describe the…

Of course, it was also lauded for delivering Asian representation in Hollywood, and factoring into its most well-deserved praise has to do with the cultural accuracy put together by the film’s creative team. In this blog, we break down a number of cultural elements you might have remembered from specific scenes in the movie, so spoilers ahead! Eating satays at the hawker center After the long…

Last time, we wrote about the origins behind some commonly seen coffee drinks.Take a look! Americano The first on the list that is quite self-explanatory, the Americano is a simple mix of espresso and hot water, and came about post World War II when American soldiers found normal Italian espresso shot too strong for their tastes, and preferred instead to drink it after diluting with water. Whether…

No matter the case, it’s safe to say that you must have encountered the names of these coffee drinks if not at a café, then at the very least inside a Western-cuisine restaurant. What do they actually mean, what language did they come from, and most importantly, how do these drinks differ from one another? Espresso Let’s start with the base constituent of all coffee drinks you can expect to get in…

While that statement isn’t exactly true, what gives rise to that impression, and what are the facets of that issue that make it more complicated than it may seem? Let’s compare the English language spoken in the United Kingdom to the case of one of its former colonies, the South-east Asian country of Singapore. British English British English refers to the English Language spoken and written in…

It’ll be more straightforward if I were to just show it to you, so without further ado, take a look at these 9 terms formed with the Chinese character for heart: 開心 (kai-xin) — Happy:The first character means “open”. The literal meaning for the Chinese term for happy is “open heart”. Happiness comes with an open heart! 傷心 (shang-xin) — Sad:The first character is for “wound”, or “hurt”. Sadness? It…

Since it was something that I heard at a young age, it never occured to me to question Old MacDonald’s take on animal calls. That is, up until I started learning foreign languages and discovered the kinds of calls other cultures attributed to their animals. A few are very similar, while the rest are so different you’ll wonder if they’re even the same animal at all. In the table, the brackets…

In a previous blog article, we delved into whether or not emoji constitutes as a proper language. The gist is that emoji is that while it’s not a conventional spoken language, it is nevertheless an effective means of communication that crosses national boundaries, just like these ones: Body Language Body language is a form of non-verbal communication that all human beings perform. Ever felt that a…

However, did you know that the word “pancake” actually stands for quite varied food items in different parts of the world? While they all share the three defining characteristics across the board, which are being circular in shape, comprising mainly of dough, and being fried in a pan, we’re here to present to you a sampling of pancakes all over the spectrum, all the way to some “alternate” savory…

Have you ever had the thought that learning Chinese will allow you to achieve seamless communication with a good portion of Asia? If so, we’re here to shed some light on an issue that is less straightforward than many may assume. Take a look at this table: These are just some common words one will likely use on a summer vacation. The main differences across the three columns are that: - The…

Read what you want You might be inclined to think that you should only read from professional and reputable sources, like editorial columns or well-respected literary books. While that perception isn’t wrong, a perspective often ignored in this line of reasoning is the fact that unless you have a legitimate interest in those subjects, forcing yourself to read them would turn what could have been…

The origins of Emoji The term “emoji” is of Japanese origin and has the literal meaning of “picture character”. They are small graphic symbols equipped on the keyboards of most digital devices, nearly everybody has at some point used them to communicate with others. What else is there that’s similar to Emoji? - An emoticon is entirely text-based, where you can construct a small range of emotions…

We’re here to detail just how exactly technology benefits language learning, using ourselves as the example: The quality of online learning is on par with that of traditional offline institutions As FluentUp, we’re proud to be able to say that all the foreign language schools we host are based in their own countries. That’s right! Taking up a course with any of our schools will guarantee that you…

To start, an individual’s preferences in these regards of language learning would be dependent on what their immediate situation calls for. If you find yourself wanting to consume a lot of content-heavy material, such as reading sci-fi fiction or technology-related news, you would encounter a lot of contextual lexicon and even specialized jargon. If you’re not used to the subject matter, they can…

At Home Let’s start by addressing the option of studying a foreign language in your home country. The whole idea of “study abroad” entails some sort of long-term project, and anyone making the decision usually has to weigh a lot of other factors before deciding whether or not the experience would be worth it. It is neither a small nor easy question to answer, as everybody faces their own reasons…

We’re travellers ourselves, and we know first-hand how a Japanese train station could be overwhelming on first glance. So we’ve prepared an English-Japanese guide on the kind of words you’re likely to see that we think could do with a little more explanation. Hopefully, this will help you locate your desired exit a little faster: This is by no means a comprehensive list, but we believe that this…

Now that you’re settled in, it’s time to order a little something. Depending on your level of Japanese language mastery, the walk between your cosy spot to the cashier could be daunting. What does it take to order a coffee and a cream cheese bagel in this country? Would it be endear you to the staff if you, a foreigner, attempted to speak in Japanese? Or should you just make a safe bet and stick…

Wake up 30 minutes earlier in the morning After a day of hard work, we can understand that it is very hard for you to concentrate again. Therefore, try to wake up 30 minutes earlier every day in the morning to study the language. People who study during the day benefit from a refreshed and energized mind after a good night’s sleep. This energy makes it easier to focus on what is being learned…

Personal Benefits Become more independent and mature through the challenges you face on exchange which takes you out of your comfort zone Experience a whole different culture and with the possibility of learning a new language Enjoy the excitement of living in another country while learning how to plan your trip Make new friends that will last a lifetime Educational Benefits Gain a rich…

If you want to speak Japanese, FluentUp will help you achieve your goal! By being a part of your life achievements, we help you create your own story through language learning. So what Japanese courses can you find on FluentUp? Japanese for Travel This Travel Japanese Course is offered by Private Japanese Lesson and is suitable for all beginner Japanese students. Our teachers have a high degree…

First, what is FluentUp? FluentUp offers live online language courses from a network of top language schools all over the world Second, why you have to learn from FluentUp? FluentUp gives you access to language schools and courses that aren’t offered in your city, at much better prices! Get quality while saving time and money! Third, how to book a free trial at FluentUp? Less than 1 minute,…

Emma Watson Emma Watson is most famed for her role in the Harry Potter film series as Hermione Granger, but is also catching the world’s attention as a representative for the UN and advocate of the campaign promoting equality for women. The British actress was educated in theatre arts in Oxford but then went on to complete an English Literature degree from an Ivy League school, Browns University…

If you are interested in seeing Japan’s famous cherry blossoms in 2018, here are some useful Japanese phrases for tourists. ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) Thank you すみません (sumimasen) Excuse me. わかりません (wakarimasen) I don’t understand. 元気です(genki desu) I am fine いくらですか(ikura desu ka) How much is it? 大丈夫ですか(daijoubu desu ka) Are you OK? 大丈夫 (daijoubu) It’s all right お早うございます (Ohayo Gozaimasu) Good…

Eddie Redmayne Born and raised in London, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne was educated at Eton College (the same grade as Prince William) before going on to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied History of Art. Redmayne’s first professional stage performance came in 2002 at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre where he played Viola in “Twelfth Night”. He became the first man born in the 1980s to…

Make a comprehensive plan Start your preparation plan right now! Look at your timetable and design yourself a tailor-made plan that gives you enough time to focus on all areas of the language. Dedicate between 60–90 minutes a day to your language learning, and make sure the plan covers all your needs. For example, I am particularly weak at listening, so when I design my German study plan, I put…

Public Relations (PR). As revealed by Aldo Liguori, Head of PR at Fast Retailing (owner of the Japanese brand Uniqlo and French brand Comptoir des Cotonniers), speaking 5 languages gave him a head-start and an absolute advantage in landing his job and taking on increasingly important responsibilities at the retailing company. His fluency in Japanese has helped him relate both to media and senior…

When thinking about the power of love in language learning, at FluentUp we think of the great Colin Firth (Jamie) and Lúcia Moniz (Aurelia) in the film Love Actually. Their struggle is real! With few alternatives, Jamie is forced to speak to her in English, while she has no choice but to reply in Portughese. Lovestruck, Jamie returns to London and takes Portughese lessons (with the usual…

The effects languages have on both how we perceive the world and the opportunities lying ahead of us, are a major asset in our globalised society. A foreign language simply changes your mindset before you even know it! When we started working on FluentUp, we had one dream in mind. We wanted to make it easy for people to see the world in a different way. We wanted to open new worlds for our…

First 100 language lovers to answer 3 simple questions at http://www.fluentup.com/prelaunch can win a package of online language lessons worth up to USD 500! Promotion ends 31 Jan 2018. Meanwhile, we will pick 5 places in Asia and introduce them. Take a look at these nice student cities in Asia, and let us know which most appeal to you as a study abroad destination. 1. Hong Kong This autonomous…

Sharing from Melanie: 8:00am Wake up, shower and read the morning papers. With many of our clients are headquartered in Europe or US, reading both international and local news is a must for me. And yes! Knowing Chinese is important as a Public Relations Manager in Hong Kong as I can understand better about the local affairs and business news. 9:00am Arriving to work at eight-thirty gives me time…

Language-related career: Translator/Interpreter Translating and interpreting are essentially about language conversion. The difference is that translating focuses on written text, covering a range of topics such as business, science, legal and technical. Interpreting uses speech in a range of settings: one-to-one communications, meetings, events and conferences. Both jobs require high level of…

The advantage of having a language exchange partner is that you can actually practice the target language with a native speaker. You can also make friends with people from all over the world. By doing language exchange, you will not only improve your conversation skills, but also get exposed to the culture and current affairs of another country. Below are five great ways to find language partner…

To explore the world, Halu joined a 1-month trip to London to learn English. After that, he flew to Iceland for the northern lights. Let’s hear what he says about the trip! Why did you decide to study English in London? I worked as an officer for a train company in Hong Kong. Every day I met lots of travellers from all over the world. I love communicating with people, especially people from…

Recently I read a book written by Josh Kaufman, the author of two international bestsellers,The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business and The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything… Fast!. Josh is one of the top 100 business authors in the world, and has been featured as the #1 bestselling author in Business & Money, as ranked by Amazon.com. The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything…Fast…

Even the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, one of the wealthiest guys in the world running an influential company every day is trying hard to study his Chinese, here are some reasons I believe you should consider learning the language as well. Chinese will open up a world of opportunities for you China’s economy is booming Businessmen in China are seeking to invest in overseas businesses Manage…

Besides the obvious advantages that learning any language brings, here are our top 6 reasons why you should learn German! ​ Why should you learn German? Because German is similar to English German is definitely not an easy language to learn, but good news is, it would be easier if you already speak English. This is because German and English share the same Germanic root. Consequently, there are…

Currently, he is working as a senior financial controller at BASF, the world’s top chemical maker. With the ability to speak English fluently and confidently, he gained certain advantages in his career. In addition, he is picking up Chinese and spent a month in Taiwan to improve the language. The language learning experience has been fruitful for him. He believes that language and cultural skills…

After a few months of studying alone with the computer, my German did not progress. Below are the reasons why traditional online learning didn’t work for me! Long, dull and boring I had to study on my screen for an hour to complete a chapter. Reading the long paragraphs and complicated grammar rules on my computer screen was really tiring. And there was no one actually explaining the language and…

Reading books for learning English is important as fiction can bring us imaginatively to different worlds, different periods and different situations; the process of reading English stories can bring us in contact with the English language in use in different circumstances. You can learn a lot of vocabulary from them, and more importantly, you can learn more about the culture of native speakers…

Learning a language is much easier when you’re enjoying yourself. Can’t think of any good movie? No worries, we have your back and have prepared a list of recommendations for you to improve your English. However first, take some time to understand why watching movies is important for learning English. Watching movies in English is an awesome way of improving your English — especially your English…

After reading our article about Good Movies for Learning English, are you ready to take your English to next level?Before you start, we would like to introduce you some techniques which you can apply when learning English through watching movies! Select an interesting movie and a move that matches your current English level I remember when I was young, I had to watch hours and hours of really…

Alisa is a fresh university graduate in Hong Kong with a deep interest in marketing and social media. She studied Business Administration at college. Without prior work experience in the field, Alisa successfully secures a marketing and social media job at a watch company fresh out of college because of her ability to speak and write Japanese. Now she is happy to share her story with FluentUp’s…

Relax, you’re not alone! As a linguistics graduate, I was struggling learning foreign languages before. Like many other kids in Hong Kong, I started learning the second and third languages (English and Mandarin Chinese) at age 4. I studied them throughout school and learned some Japanese during my first year at university. Even after many years studying English and Mandarin Chinese, I found it…

It’s a time for relaxation and entertainment, but travelling is not limited to that, it is a precious opportunity to learn. Even from a short getaway, the things you learnt can stick with you and leave profound impacts on you that can last for a lifetime. Here are some of the most cherished things you can learn from travelling. Self-discovery:When your family and friends are not around you, you…

A lot of language learning beginners have trouble understanding native speakers at native-level speed. Listening comprehension is often deemed among learners as the most challenging skill to improve. They find that the amount of time they put into developing their skills does not correspond to their desired result. Read below to discover some practical tips that you can follow to achieve a better…

You might be threatened by the thought of having to learn a whole new set of vocabulary. This might set learners back as they struggle with retaining new words. We understand how challenging it is to memorise words from a different language in a short period of time. To learn new vocabulary in a more effective way, we’ve put together a few tips to help you get through the process. Review the words…

It might be hard to maintain two freshly learnt language skills at once. Confusing words or grammatical structures is common and it may refrain us from reaching the level of fluency desired. We have put together a few tips to help you avoid this from happening. Learn two distinctive languages The first thing you can do to prevent mixing up the languages you learn is to choose two languages with…

A number of people might be insecure about their accent and would like to acquire a more native-sounding accent. It requires a lot of effort but we got your back. Here are 5 tips on how you can improve your accent. Listen to the accent you want to imitate:There are a variety of accents in spoken English. Find the accent you would like to acquire and go after it, whether it’s a North American…

While you might think that you can get by your travel journey with English, speaking in the language of the place you’re travelling to can help you immerse in the culture and transform your travel experience into a more authentic one. Not to mention that you can even learn and practice a new language so why not? Let me pack you with some basic Italian phrases for this unforeseen journey! Get ready…

It’s important to ensure that you are using the proper tone and correct language. In this article, we will provide you with some tips to write a better formal letter and some useful phrases to include in the letter. Be precise and concise:Be direct and to the point. Explicitly let the reader know your purpose of writing in the first paragraph. Avoid using fancy language. Don’t ramble or include…

In the previous article, we outlined different considerations to make when choosing which language to learn. You will hopefully have a better idea of what kind of language you are looking for. In this article, we will delve into 7 of the most common languages to review what makes them both useful and unique. Mandarin Being the most widely spoken language in the world, there are over a billion…

You might be wondering what the “best” language to learn is? The bad (or good) news is there is no such thing as the “best” language. Language preference varies among people who look for different purposes from learning a language, not to mention different individual has different language backgrounds. The decision is personal and depends on the learner. Whether you are in the process of deciding…

In this article, we will cover advice on what you can do to get the full benefit from group lessons. Participate in in-class group activities A key benefit to online group classes is that it allows group exercises. During the lesson, the teacher might arrange a session for group discussion, and provide assistance alongside. Throughout the exercise, you get to learn from each other through…

Online classes can take the form of group lessons, but most of the time are in the form of one to one lessons. Here are 5 tips on what actions you can take to achieve an excellent learning experience in one to one private lessons. Let the teacher know your thoughts on the curriculum Most teachers from schools on FluentUp are highly experienced and can provide a robust curriculum to work on…

High degree of engagement compared to E-Learning:Live online lessons provide interactive learning experience just like traditional classrooms. Teachers interact live via web conferencing directly with the student with engagement levels that rival face to face lessons. Students can also raise questions via built in chat functionalities during the lesson. After lessons, students can access a range…

We’ve put together 9 tips to give you a helping hand. Set concrete tasks for yourself:Learning a new language requires a high degree of self-discipline. Set learning targets for yourself, whether it is learning 3 new vocabularies every day or spending 30 mins a day practising pronunciation. To make sure the tasks are achievable, after creating the tasks, ask yourself — Can I really manage them…

Requiring consistency and dedication, it is easy to provide excuses for the struggle we face in reaching our language proficiency goals. We’ve all been through it! Well, rather than listing the typical excuses we’re all aware of, we’d like to remind you why it can be easier for you to achieve your proficiency goals as an adult learner. Continue reading below to find out why you should not give up…

Whether you have a natural interest or practical reasons, building your language skills provides numerous benefits that you’ll nurture for the rest of your life. We have listed 7 unique reasons why you should embark on your language learning journey. Develop your charisma:Expanding your language skills will make you more confident about yourself and communicating with others. Greater knowledge of…