That's the beauty of not focusing only on just learning the language, but also learning the culture, different accents and slangs, and how the language changes between different countries. Personally it's one of my favorite parts in language studying :)
Hey Robin. I really like learning languages, I'm an English teacher but for some time I've been struggling to find the meaning in my work. It seemed to me that languages are not as important, that no one gives a damn about them and we can survive not knowing foreign languages. It was difficult to treat my work and my passion seriously. And still is because it takes time to change the mindset. But while watching tour video I felt that my heart has opened and I realized that life is about people and communication. And trying to understand them. And I see that it's hard for me to open to people and to want to understand them, because I've been always afraid of people. I struggle to be really myself, as I fear being judged. I feel that this video has just been a little step towards accepting myself and opening to people. Thank you. Can't wait to see your next videos!
You know it's storytime when he takes out the "Cozy mug". For me, an important moment on my French journey was when I realized that I'm able to make puns (something very characteristic for me in my native german). I felt a lot more like "myself" than before.
I also love it when a native speaker is not sure about how to say something in particular in their own language (like which preposition to use with a certain verb or how to conjugate a verb properly) and they double check it with you because they trust your language skills! (For the most part, if they don't know, I won't know either ahah but the feeling of them asking me to help them is definitely one of the best parts of learning a language to a high level!)
I also love when I see native speakers doing grammar and orthography mistakes while writing, online. You notice what's wrong, and it increases your self confidence a lot, like: if they are also doing mistakes, who's going to judge me as a foreigner, you know what I mean.
Oh wow I can relate to laughing at things in French because they seems so harsh/ blunt/ sarcastic when it's really just how French is sometimes...Often I end up wondering if whatever I am reading is intended as comedy or not :')
Hey Robin, I totally agree with what you said in this video. I'm a half French half Argentinian 14-year-old and a couple of years ago I started learning English. It feels so good to reach such a high level in the language you are trying to learn. It's just so satisfying. Not only that, it can truly connect you with people. Anyways, I love your videos you've helped me so much staying motivated to learn Dutch. Thank you so much for that and I wish you all the best.
What you said about the French being able to express things in a very sarcastic, precise, blunt and for foreigners absolutely hilarious way is exactly what I associate with the British way of talking...It is this sort of dry humour which makes you cry with laughter. At least when you are German 😬
With the use of idiomatic expressions - Korean has idioms based off Chinese 4-character idioms, and one of the first ones I learnt really early on was 전화위복, meaning a blessing in disguise. I never used it in a conversation until maybe 2 years after I learnt it. It was just how you described - the conversation was flowing, and the right opportunity came up to use this idiom. The conversation in question was with a group older ladies, and their reaction was amazing
Just yesterday one of my favourite RUclipsrs included a short bit of Swedish in the middle of his video, and it was so cool to understand it. Then in the comments, several if us were translating it for others and starting short exchanges in Swedish, and that was even better. It was like really being a part of the experience.
I soo relate to what you said concerning Spanish. I try to adjust my speech as well. I remember when I first leanred "que chevere" from my friend from Peru and then I used it with another friend who's also from Peru for the first time and he was like "eeesoooo" hahaha I love it!
Have to say. Always look forward to your videos. I am currently learning Japanese, and seeing another perspective on language learning gives me motivation knowing that someday I can be fluent. Thanks.
Robin, Your perspective here illustrates what excites me about language learning so well - I got a little teary eyed, I have to admit. It's interesting because I was thinking about all the resources I am using to learn spanish right now (my first time learning a language besides my native english) and none of them touch on this emotional, interpersonal aspect so well. It's all so... cognitive and about grammar and function and it misses this human element of connection. It was also really beautiful to hear you describe that feeling of belonging because I'm often nervous I'll be seen as intrusive or a burden, and it was a good reminder - I never view an english learner as a burden or intrusive, so what am I doing to myself? Thank you as always for your work and sharing! - Bailey
This was so good. We all have our reasons for learning languages. I smiled throughout this video... except for a minute when you talked about leaving your Japanese friend. I’m already making connections like you talked about. My tutor is my friend. We speak Spanglish to each other. Happy holidays and wishing you continued success.
In Spain we usually say "qué bueno está" or "está muy rico" (but still less common than bueno). Never "es muy rico", never ever ever. That means "he/she's very rich". "ser" vs "estar" are subtlely different. So much so, that it could very well be one of the key differences between fluent speakers vs native speakers. Bonus tip: latin american people often use the 'pretérito perfecto simple', while we tend to use the 'pretérito perfecto compuesto'. This would only apply when you could choose either one of those tenses. Otherwise, just use them like you would in English, respectively.
Para mi depende mucho del contexto, osea oraciones como "la pizza en ese restaurante es muy rica" me suenan bien y son comunes dónde yo vivo. Supongo que también tiene que ver con que el español se habla bastante diferente en distintos lugares. De todas maneras coincido en que cuando estás hablando de una comida que estás comiendo en el momento el verbo estar se usa más
I was told sometimes also that i'm one of the arabs when i had a chat with them or that i'm a serb with serbs. With some nationalities you don't even need to be like that fluent really, just some basic conversational skills are enough but if you know many local/colloquial expressions that is appreciated usually. When i was in england i was never told that you are one of us even if i spoke english fluently and used british expressions a lot etc.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I have been struggling to stay motivated on my quest to bring my Gaelic to a higher level beyond just conversational.
Your stories remind me of a time when my Spanish wasn't that good but this guy from Guatemala brought me to his American kids and said "this guy speaks real Spanish" "este chico habla el español puro"...and I went as red as a tomato. The kids didn't care one bit
True! It's so satisfying when you can argue with someone and understand comedy, that even the argument you're having seems to be having fun. Thanks for the coffee break Robin! Francesco :)
Hola Robin, great video as always! Somewhat related to this, I'd love to hear your perspective and insights on how to not get overwhelmed with the number of resources, or even the new items, in the given language you're learning. You somewhat touch on it when you mention the "intuition" you have with a language. Eg, I'm at a strong intermediate level in Spanish, and so have started to get into different content -- and there is always a _ton_ of new things in every news article etc that I'm reading. It's easy to feel a need to try to learn absolutely everything in any article, but that probably isn't the best strategy in general (perhaps casting a wider net is better). Cheers y un abrazo desde Canada, jz
Hi Robin. I have a really lovely time with series of amazing videos you posted. I have learned what a fantastic Japanese you speak though, you in this video really very surprised me! You are also great at 博多弁,大阪弁、and 京都弁 which I even do not know! Plus you have shared an episode of your friend, まやさん and I happened to catch the video the other day. That has helped me a lot to understand what you are saying about her. I feel her so much. That is beyond language! I have been British English and I tend to seek correctness to be a native like speaker. On the other hand, I have been irritating myself because I do not feel my English is improving. Probably it is almost time I should change my mindset to learning language. Millions of thanks to you for your massive dedication for us language learners, or I should say, polyglots to be! Robinさんは とてもていねいな 日本語を話されますね。 そんなRobinさんを見習って 私も いろいろな外国語を ていねいに 話せるように 勉強を続けていきます。 I am looking forward to your next video coming up. Have a nice one. ( ^-^)ノ∠※。.:*:・'°☆
I've been studying Chinese on and off for literal years, and never get much past the low B2 level...then I get interested in another language and push Chinese aside for 6 months, 1 year. If I could just stick with it like I did with Spanish my Chinese could be sooo much better than it currently is. But it's so damned hard. And Arabic is calling...
Robin, beautifully said. I thought it was amazing the way you described how idioms, slangs, can really improve your interaction with other people and cultures. Personally I've experienced that in many different occasions and it was always so satisfying and encouraging for me, that I kept going and improving the languages that I have/had. Unfortunately because of the Quarantine I lost a lot of my motivation, and I don't know how I can continue with language learning if I'm not talking to anyone. If you can give me an advice about how you keep your learning routine I'll be pleased : ) !
Lockdown took its toll on my motivation in the early stages. I kept reading in English (Harari's books, by the way) and listening to interesting podcasts and RUclips videos. Don't give up!
This episode has been eye opening. I’m thinking part of my German reacquisition issues are because my life is so substantially different than it was when I first learned German. It’s not just that Reagan isn’t president--I have a degree in Indigenous People’s Law, work in diversity circles, am VERY involved daily with Native culture (something that wasn’t an option on our very remote farm, at the time), and I knew virtually nothing about hockey--while now I have 2 boys who play and I’m learning to be a goalie. I didn’t really cook in the 80s and I definitely didn’t do a lot of housework (NEVER did the laundry or cleaned the bathroom). When I learned German in the 80s, it was very much student-oriented vocabulary, and I remember my first essay was about my sewing machine. Today, my craft focus is more knitting, Native beadwork, and quilting-I didn’t even know how to do those last 2 in the 80s, much less goal tending. My English vocabulary is so dramatically different from what it was in high school. Shouldn’t my German be, also? To be sure, reviewing basic greetings, the weather, directions, grammar rules, will never go out of style, but that’s such a small part of what I talk about now, even in English. This episode has definitely given me a lot of food for thought.
Hi Robin MacPherson, Try learning Tamil. One of the oldest classical language in the world. Many great personalities like GU Pope, Robert Caldwell, Constanzo Beschi are students of Tamil and contributed to its new-age literature
I wish I could be your friend, you just seem so lovely. Your mannerisms remind me of a dear friend of mine and I just adore your enthusiasm and positivity :)
Je suis tjrs epatee par tes connaissances de la culture francaise! J’ai etudie a Lille 🤣 Je te conseille Back to Burgundy sur netflix si tu n’as pas vu, assez bon film.
The French native speakers from the notehrn part of france change the way to pronounce the diphtongues and vowel too for instance in the movie " Bienvenu chez les ch'tis" They say "chô" for the word chat --> the cat. The sound "s" is superceded by the sound "ch" ch'est bin ço? -->c'est bien ça ?
@@justjoshininjapan700 yes お冷や is cold water but interestingly it's used in eateries rather than at home. Also as extra information, cold Sake can be 冷や
That's the beauty of not focusing only on just learning the language, but also learning the culture, different accents and slangs, and how the language changes between different countries.
Personally it's one of my favorite parts in language studying :)
I love when I begin to feel the language. It’s more than understanding or acquiring. It’s about the heart.
Hey Robin. I really like learning languages, I'm an English teacher but for some time I've been struggling to find the meaning in my work. It seemed to me that languages are not as important, that no one gives a damn about them and we can survive not knowing foreign languages. It was difficult to treat my work and my passion seriously. And still is because it takes time to change the mindset.
But while watching tour video I felt that my heart has opened and I realized that life is about people and communication. And trying to understand them. And I see that it's hard for me to open to people and to want to understand them, because I've been always afraid of people. I struggle to be really myself, as I fear being judged.
I feel that this video has just been a little step towards accepting myself and opening to people. Thank you. Can't wait to see your next videos!
You know it's storytime when he takes out the "Cozy mug". For me, an important moment on my French journey was when I realized that I'm able to make puns (something very characteristic for me in my native german). I felt a lot more like "myself" than before.
I also love it when a native speaker is not sure about how to say something in particular in their own language (like which preposition to use with a certain verb or how to conjugate a verb properly) and they double check it with you because they trust your language skills! (For the most part, if they don't know, I won't know either ahah but the feeling of them asking me to help them is definitely one of the best parts of learning a language to a high level!)
I also love when I see native speakers doing grammar and orthography mistakes while writing, online. You notice what's wrong, and it increases your self confidence a lot, like: if they are also doing mistakes, who's going to judge me as a foreigner, you know what I mean.
@@Nico97fr This is so true! I always feel like correcting them when that happens ahha But I always keep it to myself, which feels pretty good as well
Oh wow I can relate to laughing at things in French because they seems so harsh/ blunt/ sarcastic when it's really just how French is sometimes...Often I end up wondering if whatever I am reading is intended as comedy or not :')
Hey Robin, I totally agree with what you said in this video. I'm a half French half Argentinian 14-year-old and a couple of years ago I started learning English. It feels so good to reach such a high level in the language you are trying to learn. It's just so satisfying. Not only that, it can truly connect you with people. Anyways, I love your videos you've helped me so much staying motivated to learn Dutch. Thank you so much for that and I wish you all the best.
You're just so cheery and chill. That's why I keep coming back.
What you said about the French being able to express things in a very sarcastic, precise, blunt and for foreigners absolutely hilarious way is exactly what I associate with the British way of talking...It is this sort of dry humour which makes you cry with laughter. At least when you are German 😬
With the use of idiomatic expressions - Korean has idioms based off Chinese 4-character idioms, and one of the first ones I learnt really early on was 전화위복, meaning a blessing in disguise. I never used it in a conversation until maybe 2 years after I learnt it. It was just how you described - the conversation was flowing, and the right opportunity came up to use this idiom. The conversation in question was with a group older ladies, and their reaction was amazing
I could not agree more
Just yesterday one of my favourite RUclipsrs included a short bit of Swedish in the middle of his video, and it was so cool to understand it. Then in the comments, several if us were translating it for others and starting short exchanges in Swedish, and that was even better. It was like really being a part of the experience.
I soo relate to what you said concerning Spanish. I try to adjust my speech as well. I remember when I first leanred "que chevere" from my friend from Peru and then I used it with another friend who's also from Peru for the first time and he was like "eeesoooo" hahaha I love it!
Es muy cierto, cuando dices las palabras que más usamos o alguna en especial que nos identifica pues se siente... super chevere!
Have to say. Always look forward to your videos. I am currently learning Japanese, and seeing another perspective on language learning gives me motivation knowing that someday I can be fluent. Thanks.
I like watching your weekly videos in a cosy atmosphere
Robin,
Your perspective here illustrates what excites me about language learning so well - I got a little teary eyed, I have to admit. It's interesting because I was thinking about all the resources I am using to learn spanish right now (my first time learning a language besides my native english) and none of them touch on this emotional, interpersonal aspect so well. It's all so... cognitive and about grammar and function and it misses this human element of connection. It was also really beautiful to hear you describe that feeling of belonging because I'm often nervous I'll be seen as intrusive or a burden, and it was a good reminder - I never view an english learner as a burden or intrusive, so what am I doing to myself? Thank you as always for your work and sharing!
- Bailey
It's such a great pleasure to observe how excited you are about learning languages 🥰 thanks a lot about your experience)
This was so good. We all have our reasons for learning languages. I smiled throughout this video... except for a minute when you talked about leaving your Japanese friend.
I’m already making connections like you talked about. My tutor is my friend. We speak Spanglish to each other.
Happy holidays and wishing you continued success.
In Spain we usually say "qué bueno está" or "está muy rico" (but still less common than bueno). Never "es muy rico", never ever ever. That means "he/she's very rich". "ser" vs "estar" are subtlely different. So much so, that it could very well be one of the key differences between fluent speakers vs native speakers.
Bonus tip: latin american people often use the 'pretérito perfecto simple', while we tend to use the 'pretérito perfecto compuesto'. This would only apply when you could choose either one of those tenses. Otherwise, just use them like you would in English, respectively.
Para mi depende mucho del contexto, osea oraciones como "la pizza en ese restaurante es muy rica" me suenan bien y son comunes dónde yo vivo. Supongo que también tiene que ver con que el español se habla bastante diferente en distintos lugares. De todas maneras coincido en que cuando estás hablando de una comida que estás comiendo en el momento el verbo estar se usa más
I was told sometimes also that i'm one of the arabs when i had a chat with them or that i'm a serb with serbs. With some nationalities you don't even need to be like that fluent really, just some basic conversational skills are enough but if you know many local/colloquial expressions that is appreciated usually. When i was in england i was never told that you are one of us even if i spoke english fluently and used british expressions a lot etc.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I have been struggling to stay motivated on my quest to bring my Gaelic to a higher level beyond just conversational.
Your stories remind me of a time when my Spanish wasn't that good but this guy from Guatemala brought me to his American kids and said "this guy speaks real Spanish" "este chico habla el español puro"...and I went as red as a tomato. The kids didn't care one bit
True! It's so satisfying when you can argue with someone and understand comedy, that even the argument you're having seems to be having fun.
Thanks for the coffee break Robin!
Francesco :)
Hola Robin, great video as always!
Somewhat related to this, I'd love to hear your perspective and insights on how to not get overwhelmed with the number of resources, or even the new items, in the given language you're learning. You somewhat touch on it when you mention the "intuition" you have with a language. Eg, I'm at a strong intermediate level in Spanish, and so have started to get into different content -- and there is always a _ton_ of new things in every news article etc that I'm reading. It's easy to feel a need to try to learn absolutely everything in any article, but that probably isn't the best strategy in general (perhaps casting a wider net is better).
Cheers y un abrazo desde Canada, jz
This may very well be my favourite video of yours ❤️
Adaptarse al contexto lingüístico es realmente inteligente. Crea una mayor conexión con tu interlocutor. Me parece genial, Robin.
Que chévere este video vale!
Merci d'avoir partagé ces anecdotes. C'est très motivant, inspirant, et je me retrouve dans beaucoup des points que tu évoques.
OMG!!!! Tú acabas de decir CHEVERE!!!!!! 😱😻🥰🥰 eres el mejor!!! Si soy de Venezuela viviendo en Miami/FL!!!
i really love it thanks a lot from brazil
Hi Robin. I have a really lovely time
with series of amazing videos you posted.
I have learned what a fantastic Japanese you speak though, you in this video really very surprised me!
You are also great at 博多弁,大阪弁、and 京都弁 which I even do not know!
Plus you have shared an episode
of your friend, まやさん and
I happened to catch the video
the other day. That has helped me a lot to understand what you are saying about her.
I feel her so much.
That is beyond language!
I have been British English and I tend to seek correctness to be a
native like speaker. On the other hand, I have been irritating myself
because I do not feel my English
is improving.
Probably it is almost time I should change my mindset to learning language.
Millions of thanks to you for your
massive dedication for us language
learners, or I should say, polyglots to
be!
Robinさんは とてもていねいな
日本語を話されますね。
そんなRobinさんを見習って 私も
いろいろな外国語を ていねいに
話せるように
勉強を続けていきます。
I am looking forward to your next
video coming up.
Have a nice one.
( ^-^)ノ∠※。.:*:・'°☆
I've been studying Chinese on and off for literal years, and never get much past the low B2 level...then I get interested in another language and push Chinese aside for 6 months, 1 year. If I could just stick with it like I did with Spanish my Chinese could be sooo much better than it currently is. But it's so damned hard. And Arabic is calling...
wasup notification squad 😎
Dear Robin,
Thanks so much for your lovely anecdotes. They are really inspiring and pleasant to listen to.
Much love from South Africa
im from sa too
Love from cpt ❤❤
I from venezuela and... que chevere this video 😂👍🏻
Robin, beautifully said. I thought it was amazing the way you described how idioms, slangs, can really improve your interaction with other people and cultures. Personally I've experienced that in many different occasions and it was always so satisfying and encouraging for me, that I kept going and improving the languages that I have/had. Unfortunately because of the Quarantine I lost a lot of my motivation, and I don't know how I can continue with language learning if I'm not talking to anyone. If you can give me an advice about how you keep your learning routine I'll be pleased : ) !
He has a recent video about how to practice talking by yourself.
Lockdown took its toll on my motivation in the early stages. I kept reading in English (Harari's books, by the way) and listening to interesting podcasts and RUclips videos.
Don't give up!
Really enjoyed the video and the message in it ! I do think that languages can deeply connect people 😌
Thank you for this Robin! This was really encouraging. I was losing hope with my language learning. But this definitely put some wind in my sails🙏
Excelente video 👌
Happy Thanksgiving my favorite language teacher.
I'm sure I will reach that level!
Lovely video as always thank you :)
This episode has been eye opening.
I’m thinking part of my German reacquisition issues are because my life is so substantially different than it was when I first learned German. It’s not just that Reagan isn’t president--I have a degree in Indigenous People’s Law, work in diversity circles, am VERY involved daily with Native culture (something that wasn’t an option on our very remote farm, at the time), and I knew virtually nothing about hockey--while now I have 2 boys who play and I’m learning to be a goalie. I didn’t really cook in the 80s and I definitely didn’t do a lot of housework (NEVER did the laundry or cleaned the bathroom). When I learned German in the 80s, it was very much student-oriented vocabulary, and I remember my first essay was about my sewing machine. Today, my craft focus is more knitting, Native beadwork, and quilting-I didn’t even know how to do those last 2 in the 80s, much less goal tending.
My English vocabulary is so dramatically different from what it was in high school. Shouldn’t my German be, also? To be sure, reviewing basic greetings, the weather, directions, grammar rules, will never go out of style, but that’s such a small part of what I talk about now, even in English.
This episode has definitely given me a lot of food for thought.
Lovely content, man. Appreciate you do that.
Hi Robin MacPherson, Try learning Tamil. One of the oldest classical language in the world. Many great personalities like GU Pope, Robert Caldwell, Constanzo Beschi are students of Tamil and contributed to its new-age literature
I wish I could be your friend, you just seem so lovely. Your mannerisms remind me of a dear friend of mine and I just adore your enthusiasm and positivity :)
Je suis tjrs epatee par tes connaissances de la culture francaise! J’ai etudie a Lille 🤣 Je te conseille Back to Burgundy sur netflix si tu n’as pas vu, assez bon film.
The French native speakers from the notehrn part of france change the way to pronounce the diphtongues and vowel too for instance in the movie " Bienvenu chez les ch'tis" They say "chô" for the word chat --> the cat. The sound "s" is superceded by the sound "ch" ch'est bin ço? -->c'est bien ça ?
Loving the vids Mr. Robin
Didn't know Spaniards don't usually say "Riquísimo" and I'm a native spanish speaker from latin america.
Hey Robin, hi !
I'm comparing myself with others in RUclips like they are learning German so fast but I can't learn that much ... it really makes me demotivated
you mean to say touch the emotions with words
Hi Robin, Thank you and I understand exactly what you mean, having learnt 2 languages. I noticed one thing though. お冷やは京都以外、例えば関東でも普通に使いますよ。
I thought it was just to differentiate between ice water and regular water. Thanks for the clarification!
@@justjoshininjapan700 yes お冷や is cold water but interestingly it's used in eateries rather than at home. Also as extra information, cold Sake can be 冷や
Hey Robin, if you love the feeling of tailoring your speech have you ever considered learning Arabic?
Just a la fusta!
ビンのビデオはとても感動的あります！ロビンさん。ビデオをありがとう！他に誰が日本語を勉強していますか？
はい！勉強しています。
@@spacejay4000 頑張れ！😄
Русские поделитесь его книгой если кто покупал)