#and what foreign language is that

[ethan-torchios-bitch]

dean: combine 2007 taco pancakes rawr speak with 2016 smol bean pupper speak to achieve true nirvana

seamus: henl0 sweet sawft sm0l bean babby!!1!!!!!!1!!! rawR xD oh noes did i scare you?!!!!!!!! i’m vewy sowwy

harry: my heart just stopped and when it started again i cursed directly at god for allowing me to survive this

[d0rothydraws]

Sylus who seems like he knows every language. When he takes you on a trip to a new country he switches languages so casually between talking to you and describing what ever the menu in your hands is to ordering the food in such a flawless way you can't help but be in awe.

Sylus who is with you on a secret mission hunting down information. He is speaking a language you never heard before so casually to someone as you stand beside him. The person giggles and then looks at you as Sylus wraps his arm around your hip.

Sylus who you ask to translate every little thing just so you can hear him. It makes your stomach flutter and you could see the pride in his eyes as he looks down at you with a smirk. He never denies you. If anything, he wishes you'd ask more.

Sylus who at night pulls you close and whispers words you dont understand in your ear. His voice as smooth as ever as his breath is against you.

You wonder how many languages he really knows.

And you plan on testing every one.

[critterbitter]

Language divides and building bridges.

Elesa’s feeling homesick. Emmet, bless his heart, tries to help by infodumping while Ingo frantically runs off to find water (crying is a very dehydrating experience).

((Would you look at that! The kids are picking up kantonese and galarian from each other!))

BONUS:

Heh. Callback.

Want to see more? Here’s the masterpost for submas!

[tashdemetriou]

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS | 6x10

[citycrows]

Does anyone else think about how Sakura was so excited and FRIENDLY to Suo when he thought he was a foreigner? If I had to count how often I think about that I'd say I'm never not thinking about it.

He introduced himself so POLITELY. Even tried to accommodate him by greeting him in English. He was so fuckin stoked thinking he was being kind to a foreigner.

(I'm also always thinking about how he got out the "I am-" and the part he got stuck at was his name my booooyyyy 😭)

[1ns1deyourm1nd]

[clever-ludicrous]

How to Actually Learn a Language (Without Wasting Time)

Polyglots will do anything to sell you something, so here’s the fastest and most basic technique based on my research.

—

Step 1 – Getting the Absolute Basics In

This is where most people already get lost. If you search social media for how to start, the advice isn’t necessarily bad, but it often makes you dependent on a single resource, usually an app that will eventually try to charge you. Duolingo, for example, has turned into a mega-corporation that perfected gamification to keep you on the app.

Remember: free apps make money by keeping you on their platform, not by helping you become fluent.

At this stage, the goal is not to gain conversational skills but to avoid overwhelming yourself and get a feel for what you’re actually getting into. All my recommended resources are free because I believe learning a language should be a basic right. I wouldn’t advise spending any money until you’re sure you’ll stick with it. Otherwise, it can turn into a toxic “but I paid for this, so I have to keep going” mindset that drains all the fun out of learning.

• Language Transfer – Highly recommended for Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, German, Greek, Italian, Swahili, and French.

• Textbooks – Simply search for [language] textbook PDF, or check LibGen and the Internet Archive. Don’t overthink which book to choose—it doesn’t matter much.

• Podcasts – Coffee Break is a solid choice for many languages.

• YouTube Channels – Join r/Learn[language] on Reddit and find recommendations.

—

Step 2 – The 20/80 Principle

The idea is that 20% of words make up 80% of everyday speech.

What you’re going to do:

Search “Most common words [language] PDF”.

This list is now your best friend

For flashcards, I highly recommend AnkiPro. It lets you import pre-made lists for Anki/Quizlet and has an archive where you’ll definitely find the most common words. But it lacks audio. The real Anki program has it, but only on PC (unless you’re willing to pay $30 for the mobile app). Use AnkiPro for now—we’ll come back to repeating phrases later. In the meantime, find a YouTube video with the most common words pronounced, or use Google Translate for audio.

(Knowt is a free alternative for Quizlet if you prefer that)

These lists will spare you from learning unnecessary vocabulary at this stage. Spaced repetition (which Anki uses) can take longer, but it’s worth it because you want these words to stick. Anki will only introduce a small number of new words per day. Once you start new words, write phrases using them. Doesn’t matter if they’re random just try to use them.

—

Step 3 – The First Breakup With the Language

This isn’t really a step, but I have to mention it. For me (and for other language learners I’ve talked to) this is where motivation crashes.

The dopamine rush is over. Your ego boost is gone. You’re stuck understanding just enough to notice how much you don’t understand, and topics are getting more complex. Everything feels overwhelming, and motivation drops.

This is normal. You have to push through it.

I’ll write a separate post on how I manage this phase, but for now:

• Take a step back and make sure you understand the basics.

• Find something that keeps you motivated.

• Consistency is key. Even if it’s just five minutes a day, do it. (Edit: You can search online for inspiration on scheduled plans. I found one that organizes language exercises into different categories based on how much time you have each day, which seems helpful. https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/s/sSGUtORurM

Personally, I used AI to create a weekly plan kind of as a last resort before giving up on the language, but try looking for pre-made ones first.)

I personally enjoyed story learning during this phase. And don’t forget the frequency lists are still your best friend. For story learning check out Olly Richards books!

—

Step 4 – Immersion

Your brain needs active and passive immersion. The earlier steps were mostly active, and now you’ll start the fun part.

How to Immerse Yourself:

1. Join some kind of community.

• I enjoy Reddit/ r/lean[Language]. Do this in your target language, but also in the language you already speak. Post that you’re looking for a chat partner in your target language. The most people are nice, and the mean ones will just ghost you anyway.

2. Watch shows.

• Subtitles only in your target language or drop English subtitles ASAP.

3. Listen to podcasts.

4. Read

I personally dislike media made for kids (except on low-energy days). For real immersion, pick something for adults.

5. Translate, write, and speak.

Before this, you wrote simple sentences using vocabulary. Now, put them to work:

• Translate texts.

• Keep a diary.

• Write short stories.

• Complain about the language in the language.

It doesn’t matter, just use it.

—

Step 5 – Speaking

Start speaking earlier than you think you’re ready. Trust me. This is probably where most people disagree with me. I do think you should start by focusing on input, but the importance of output isn’t talked about enough.

Now, the real Anki (or any program with phrases + audio) comes into play. At lower levels, it doesn’t make sense to just start talking, since you wouldn’t even be able to recognize your mistakes. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Repeat phrases out loud.

2. Record yourself speaking.

3. Compare your recording to the original audio and adjust your pronunciation.

If it’s a tonal language (or if you struggle with accents), start this even earlier.

Other Speaking Strategies:

• Shadowing – Repeat after native speakers.

• Reading aloud – Your own texts, books, anything.

• Talking to yourself.

• Talking to natives (if you’re brave).

I’m not here to fix social anxiety, but I am here to help with language learning, so just speak.

—

Final Thoughts

• These steps overlap, and that’s fine.

• This is supposed to be fun. Learning just because you’re “too deep in” or because of school won’t cut it.

• If you’re lost, take a step back.

• I’m not a professional. I just think a straight answer is way too hard to find.

—

If you have anything to add, feel free to share.

[br1ghtestlight]

obsessed w/ justin's response to ppl asking about paper's gender in 2016

like "paper's male........ unless we make a change i mean 🤔" like at any point they're open to randomly transgender-ing a character even HALFWAY through season two lmao??? gotta keep all your options on the table yknow

[nowshesdoingitallthetime]

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY TO OUR VERY OWN BEING FUNNY IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE!

[unionizedwizard]

this has been said numerous times, better, and by more qualified people than me before, but it truly is wonderful that spending enough time with trans people in any capacity ends up completely rerouting your inner gender recognition patterns. like, right wingers are obsessed with saying that we're trying to destroy gender, and it is true in a way, because i really can't see, say, a closeted/pretransition trans woman as anything else than a woman. like it just doesnt compute. it's not like, an effort i have to actively make, it's just as easy as with a cis woman. nowadays <- important addition because it does come from experience, but then once the new pattern starts to set, you can't go back, it's sort of like learning to read

like, brain plasticity is real (hurray for brain plasticity!) and there's no evidence more supportive of the fact that gender is a social game that is deciphered through a complex set of rules and symbols and patterns, regardless of the kind of physical attributes exhibited by individuals, than being genuinely unable to read a trans person as anything else than their actual gender no matter what their cispassing actually is like

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Me, when someone in a Kdrama speaks English, even if they do it with a perfect American/Canadian/English accent: What is this language and what in the world did they say? goes back immediately to re-listen if there aren't English subtitles

[bedforddanes75]

pictures of matty healy where he looks like a bug

[supes9]

It's a foreign language to me, baby

But I love hearing you talk...

[anghraine]

It feels extremely silly that only today did I realize that pantry and panadería are slightly similar-sounding for a reason >_>

(The English word pantry is one of the many, many common modern English words derived from Anglo-French: in this case, panetrie, from Old French paneterie, "bread room" ... Spanish panadería also has a complex etymology, but all are related to Latin panis, "bread.")

[forgottenbones]

Going to Wales after learning Welsh for 2 years

[carmen-berzattos]

Butchered Tongue, my beloved