Lingus TV: Learn Spanish by Sitcom

Lingus TV: Learn by Sitcom.

A long time ago- in another life where I had more hair but less life experience- I sat in a GCSE French class with my fellow students. Rain lashed against the windows and billowing clouds had turned the once placid sky a twisting, cavorting sea of black. The TV set was wheeled into the classroom and we offered gasps in place of applause. This was long before the days of DVD players and portable media devices. For us, entertainment arrived in the form of a large wooden box with a screen and a video recorder that could well have been the original Betamax prototype. The pupils were ecstatic. We were going to watch a video.

And yet, we remained cautious. We’d raised our hopes before at the arrival of the TV, only to be shown “Uncle Buck” or “Cool Runnings” for the fifteen time as the school staff betrayed the fact that they’d run out of money in the video store and been to shy to ask for a bit extra from the budget to get us a decent film to watch.

Horror of all horrors: we were going to watch something “educational”. A French sitcom. The idea was simple: we’d laugh at the well-scripted comedy on the screen and pick up basic French words and phrases in the process. Well…that was the idea, anyway. What we got was somewhat different. A “British” character in the sitcom we watched struggled to speak French beyond “Un café” and seven teenagers who thought they were a lot cooler than they actually were drove round and round their local town on scooters (and I’m not talking about the motorised kind. I’m talking about the kind you have to move by foot power). To cap it all off they had incredibly dodgy hairstyles. Needless to say, we learned very little French.

Joking and bad French sitcoms aside, the idea is sound. Learning through laughter is one of the best ways to learn and all you need to make it work is some reasonably good actors, a good script and a way of making the sitcom available for people to enjoy on the move. Well, I believe I’ve found the answer.

i-Pod users can now watch Lingus TV on the move and the episodes of the sitcom are also viewable online. Check it out and discover how you can learn through laughter.

Cadw Swn

MARTY MEETS: CADW SWN CREATOR COLIN JONES

As Welsh athletes win Gold in Beijing, Marty meets Colin Jones, creator of the critically acclaimed Cadw Swn course that could have you speaking Welsh in no time. So say "Croeso" to a new language and a new you.

1. Why is it important for people to learn Welsh?

For me, every language gives it's own particular window on the world. Language seems to filter and colour the way we look at the world. If you only speak one language that probably makes no sense, but when you begin to learn other languages you start to see what I mean. You get a richness and a variety which can be quite refreshing.

2. Why did you decide to create the Cadw Swn course?

I'd been a Welsh-to-Adults tutor for a number of years, and I simply wanted to get Welsh into peoples' heads as quickly, enjoyably and painlessly as possible. Stories and music were my own particular route. I had to write the course, as there was nothing similar out there for Welsh.

3. You place a lot of emphasis on relaxation in the Cadw Swn course. You recommend that the learner take a break between each story and you recommend the learner start the learning process with a relaxation exercise. Why is relaxation important to the learning/language learning process?

Up to a certain point the more relaxed we are the better we can do most things. Look at the opposite - the tenser you get the less able you are to do most things. I remember having a car crash; I was so tense after the crash I couldn't even find the door handle for a little while. Stunned.

We could probably live longer and enjoy life more if we learnt to relax. Now this is certainly not the place, but I have been working on a technique to help people relax, and control feelings and emotions. You can go to http://www.asktorelax.com/ to find out more.

4. You use classical music in the Cadw Swn course. I have to admit to being a closet Classic Fm listener and I've read a lot about the effect of classical music on the brain when it comes to memory. Why did you decide to use classical music in the Cadw Swn course?

It started out as a vague interest. I too had read about the effects of music and decided to try it out in some of my classes. I noticed that simply by playing particular pieces of music in the background people seemed to be more relaxed. They could then 'perform' better at speaking the language. One thing lead to another and the course got itself written.

5. I lived and studied in Wales for 3 years. I learned a little Welsh from watching the children's programmes and a rather strange science fiction drama on S4C but I never got around to actually learning Welsh. What stops people from learning Welsh? Why do a lot of people procrastinate about learning Welsh or, indeed, learning any language?

Well there are a couple of things that stop people, even when they've decided to learn the language. You can be a bit hampered by the fact that most Welsh-speakers are bilingual. That should of course be a plus, but you can find that they can be a little too helpful and turn to English if you're struggling.

Learning a language seems difficult to a lot of people. I also feel that for too many years we've been too wrapped up in grammar. That puts a lot of people off. Both of my children spoke two languages before starting school, and I'd never once given them a single grammar lesson. Children just sort of 'pick up' languages, we should do that too.

6. As you know, I'm learning as many languages as I possibly can in just 1 year. It's been an amazing experience so far and I'm having lots of fun. I've clearly struck a chord with people as the total number of visitors to the blog since its creation is over 3500. Do you have any advice that can help me with my language learning challenge or could help other people to pluck up the courage to learn a language?

Something that I've been working on lately might apply particularly to you: You can choose to learn to speak a language by modelling native speakers. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you can decide to take in how a native speaker acts when you're in their company, and duplicate it. It can also give you a kind of anchor to fix you in a particular language, learning so many you could get cross-contamination.

As to anyone who wants to learn a language it's simply a matter of making a commitment, then finding the best way to do it. I don't believe that you need any special skill, although an open nature and not worrying about making mistakes seems to help.

All images copyright CADW SWN 2008
CLICK HERE TO DISCOVER THE CADW SWN COURSE

Reviews Coming Soon

image copyright hypnoshop.com 2008

REVIEWS COMING SOON:

A major revamp of the REVIEWS section is coming and the section will feature some great new products including: the CADW SWN course, Master A Foreign Language hypnosis CD by Steve G Jones, the Hypno Imp Public Speaking product and Hypno Shop's Language Learning Success title. Stay tuned and thanks for your support of the challenge and the blog.

On the move

ON THE MOVE

Just a note to say that I'll be posting to Join Martin from various different locations over the next few weeks so my posts to the blog may not be as regular as normal.

Basic Mandarin Phrases

Number 18

Join Martin image copyright JOIN MARTIN 2008

Lexiophiles image copyright lexiophiles.com 2008

GREAT NEWS: JOIN MARTIN is Number 18 in the Lexiophiles.com Top 100 Languages Blogs. Thanks to everyone at lexiophiles.com and everyone who has read the blog.

The Thump of the Celtic Heart

The Thump Of The Celtic Heart: The above is a video from Youtube of a performance by Julie Fowlis on the BBC’s Later with Jools Holland. The song is called: Hug Air A Bhonaid Mhoir. I’m reliably informed (though don’t quote me on this one) that it translates as “Celebrate the great bonnet” in Scottish Gaelic. It’s a beautiful song from an amazing talent and I’ve been pretty much playing this song and every other piece of Scottish music I can get my hands on since I came back from Edinburgh and those closest to me may have noted the development of a theme. To be honest with you, parting from Edinburgh was like parting from a lover. Hours drag their heels and nothing quite distracts you from the memory of the good times you shared and the need to return.

CHECK OUT FOOTSTOMPIN.COM FOR GREAT SCOTTISH MUSIC

I’m also going to showcase the Welsh band Brigyn again on this blog with their song: Os na wnei di adael nawr. My reasoning behind this is: music is an amazing tool for learning languages. Listen to the Julie Fowlis song and you instantly want to (if you don’t know already) discover what it means. Also, you’re much more likely to remember the lyrics from songs than a boring list of verbs or key phrases. That’s why so many people have decided to combine language learning with music.

Enjoy.

Join Martin in Scotland

image copyright M Drury/JOIN MARTIN 2008

JOIN MARTIN IN SCOTLAND: Ok, so I'm not the best photographer in the world. The photo is of me wearing the JOIN MARTIN CHALLENGE T SHIRT (designed by my sister and printed by a wonderful shop in Hereford). I'm standing near Waverley Station in Edinburgh. In the background you can see your buses, Princes Street and- if you walked up from where I'm standing- you'd end up on the Royal Mile. Edinburgh Dungeon is a little to the right of me and across the road.

I want to use my trip to Edinburgh as a starting point to begin a discussion on who we really are as people. What stops us from expressing ourselves? Of course, if we all expressed ourselves fully 100% of the time, the world would erupt into chaos. Rules, regulations and laws are there for a reason (most of the time). But stop for a minute and ask yourself this question: who am I really?

Because Edinburgh showed me the person I really was, just as North Wales had done to the younger version of me during the university days. I realised that so much of who I am is contained because I don't trust myself or I worry about what other people think. My sister remarked that I sometimes seem to focus on the negative and happiness doesn't show up in my facial features, even when I'm ecstatic. I'm not about to change who I am for anyone but there is some truth that accusation and the reason behind is that I'm worried. Many have called me a powerful personality over the years and I guess I've been afraid that expressing myself fully and letting go of worries and enjoying myself would somehow hurt other people. And I cannot tolerate even the thought of causing another person harm even in an emotional sense.

But things are changing. The benevolent thump of the Celtic Heart is back and something in the pit of my belly tells me that, whatever happens, Edinburgh is the right place to be. Beautiful, friendly, dramatic, awe inspiring, amazing and breath taking. That is the Scottish capital. Dear Edinburgh, you'll be seeing a lot more of me in the coming months. Thank you for a wonderful holiday.

And to the readers of this blog I say this: it's time to enjoy yourself (within all laws and regulations of course). It's time to let go and bit and trust, even when things seem difficult or challenging. Time to learn a new language, time to make a new friend, time to travel, time to discover, time to reveal the real you.

The Olympics

THE OLYMPICS: The Olympics are nearly upon us and now is good a time as any to start learning Chinese. So get ready for JOIN MARTIN's CHINESE CHALLENGE. I'll be learning as much Chinese (Mandarin) as I can and posting phrases of the day and reviewing the best ways and techniques to learn Chinese. Stay tuned and thanks for your support.

Scottish Spanish?

Here's a Spanish phrase (content copyright BBC) that sounds just a "wee bit" Scottish (well, the translation does)

Un pelín (*) Lit. a tiny hair, meaning a very little bit, often used to soften your statement.
¿Puedes bajar la tele un pelín? Can you turn the telly down a wee bit?

4000 people JOIN MARTIN

4000 people JOIN MARTIN

Great News! Over 4000 people have visited this blog since its creation a few months ago. Hello to any readers from Edinburgh and thank you for a wonderful stay in your wonderful city. I shall return very soon.

After my week long holiday (travelling all over the place and mentioning JOIN MARTIN every chance I got), the blog is back and I've got some great new posts lined up. Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled.

Passion

image copyright Steve G Jones 2008

PASSION: What is your passion? No, I'm not talking about that. What would you pay to do? What would get you up at 5am even on a weekend? I ask because this has been a week of questioning motivation, confidence, satisfaction at work and a week where one person close to me was forced to question precisely what his passion is. Of course, we've all been there at one or another. Learning as many languages as possible in just 1 year sounds like a mad idea and it is. I knew the risks. I knew I might have so much information in my head that I might crack and lose my marbles. I knew I might fail. Not only that, I knew I might fail in dramatic, spectacular fashion: learning just one or two languages up to a conversational level and barely improving my French.

I knew the risks. I saw the drop from my position high on the cliff...but I still jumped. Even if you fall you were, for a brief, wonderful second, soaring like an eagle.

I'm a stubborn person. Most people are sensible when it comes to starting out as a freelance journalist: they get a staff job, work their way up, network and make contacts they can use to help their careers advance once they take the plunge into freelancing. What did I do? I just decided to set myself up as a freelance journalist. Published in national magazines, a former local newspaper columnist and a piece on BBC Online means I haven't done too badly for myself so far but what was it that made me see all the risks but still jump in? I saw the risks. I have my moments but I am a sensible, methodical, cautious person to the point of OCD: if I tell you the door is locked, it's locked because I've checked it 17 times in half an hour. So why did I throw caution to the wind? Why did I "just do it anyway"?

Well, I'll tell you: the risks were big but not as big as the rewards and the feeling I would get if I succeeded. The opportunities and rewards were worth rolling the dice. The way they drive around where I live, I could be run down the moment I step outside my front door. But I still go outside. I am not advocating senseless disregarding of risks and I urge people to take proper safety precautions and evaluate risks when they present themselves.

Back in 1997, my life fell apart. Everything went wrong and everything collapsed around me. I thought there was nothing left and I thought nothing good would come from my life. But that wasn't the end of the story and, no matter how bad things get, the story will go on and there will be other chapters. There will be good times, there will be laughter, there will be new places, new people, new loves. Whether your run from a challenge or stand and fight, there will be another day and these difficulties which so dominate your life right now will become memories from the past and lose their power to harm you.

So, with that in my mind, why not learn a new language? Why not roll the dice? Failure and feedback are so close together that one can be mistaken for the other. Even if you don't get the desired result, what you do get might be even better. Fortune favours the brave. Be prepared. Be prepared to jump (just to be clear, I'm talking metaphorically here) and be prepared to fall.

Mary Had A Little Lamb

Mary Had A Little Lamb: One of the best ways to learn a new language is through song. So, with that in mind, here's Mary Had A Little Lamb in Japanese.

Girls Aloud

Girls Aloud: Here's the French version of "I can't speak French" by UK band, Girls Aloud. The French isn't great and it is hard to make out some of the words and yes, they are contradicting themselves by saying they can't speak French whilst speaking French but...let's face it...Nadine's in the video so I could personally forgive pretty much anything else in the video. And yes, I own a Girls Aloud album. Just the 1. It was a review copy sent to me. No, I am not 14 or a girl. I don't like all of their songs and I've never been to a Girls Aloud gig. But some of their songs are good. You be the judge on this one.

Public Speaking

image copyright Fresno County Office of Education 2008

JOIN MARTIN IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THIS GROUP/ORGANISATION

Public Speaking: There was a time when I loved giving presentations and speaking in public. To be fair, that was during my university days. Somehow, I got the idea that volunteering for presentations would make me look strong and confident and impress the girls in my seminar groups. It probably just made me look like a teacher's pet or a swot but, most of the time, the presentations went really well and, on the odd occasion, the girls in the seminar group were impressed but, last time I asked, the ability to give good presentations is not high on the list of any woman when it comes to seeking out future husbands. Oh well, it was worth a try.

As I've said before on this blog, the ability to be cool, calm and confident whilst speaking in public is very important. There is no point learning a new language if you don't have to courage to speak it. Being confident is hard work. We're all born confident and we cry out expecting to be fed...demanding to be fed and cared for. But somewhere along the way we begin to take onboard ideas about ourselves and, sometimes, those ideas are just plain nonsense. But we believe them anyway. We cling to them, hold them tight and refuse to let go. We absorb those false perceptions and make them part of us and deconstruction of those negative beliefs, even by trained professionals or friends desperate to help, can be disorientating and we fight against anything which threatens our belief system. Stop for a moment and imagine that everything you know about yourself is false. You've been living a lie. You're not who you thought you were. Frightening thought, isn't it? Feels much better to stop thinking like that and carry on as normal. That's why we find it so hard to make positive changes and to be confident in this world: we'd rather believe nonsense than have nothing to base our identity on.

I'm no expert on confidence or public speaking. I recently gave a good talk on journalism to a class of primary school children. I was very nervous and looked it and, as much as I enjoyed talking about my career and passion, I was glad when it was over. Despite the fact that some people think my "little black book" comes in volumes, I've never been amazing in social situations. I'm not a wallflower and, just occasionally, my dance routine of wiggling my arms about a bit and swaying from side to side no matter what song is playing and no matter what the rhythm is, makes an appearance. That said, I've improved a lot over the years and I think there is something to be said for being comfortable with your own company once in a while. But, if I am going to make a success of this languages challenge, I'm going to have to broaden my social circle and become more comfortable talking to people and speaking in public.

In the coming days, I'll be talking about public speaking. Which, if you think about is, is an odd turn of phrase. I'll basically be talking about talking. Hard to believe I once sang a solo in an amateur musical production and have acted on the professional stage, isn't it? Also been on TV in the UK. If you want to achieve something, you can. Whether it's learning a new language or gaining the confidence to be a great public speaker. Just go for it.

THE SPEECH IMP

HYPNOSIS FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING CONFIDENCE ON AN MP3 PLAYER

FIND OUT MORE HERE

image copyright hypnoimp 2008

Welsh Phrases

image copyright Cardiff University/Cardiff University School of Physics & Astronomy 2008.

WELSH PHRASES:

Partly because I enjoy learning Welsh and partly because it is difficult to say no to a gorgeous, intelligent blonde who looks a million dollars even when she “throws something on”, here are an abundance of Welsh phrases:

Where is the toilet?

Ble mae’r toiled / lle chwech (place six) / tŷ bach (small house)?

I love you:

Dw i’n dy garu di / Rwy’n dy garu di

What’s the Welsh for…?

Beth ydy’r Cymraeg am … ?

One language is never enough

annigonol ydy un iaith / dyw un iaith byth yn ddigon

Thank you

Diolch Diolch yn fawr Diolch yn fawr iawn / Diolch o galon

Would you like to dance with me?

Dach chi eisiau dawnsio (h)efo fi? (frm - North Wales)
Ti eisiau dawnsio (h)efo fi? (inf - North Wales)
Dych chi’n moyn dawnsio (gy)da fi? (frm - South Wales)
Ti’n moyn dawnsio (gy)da fi? (inf - South Wales)

Click here for The Learn Welsh Podcast

Click here for Cadw Swn Learn Welsh course

Click here to go to omniglot.com and hear the audio version of this phrase.

German on Doctor Who Translated

SPOILER WARNING FROM PREVIOUS POST ALSO APPLIES TO THIS POST-DO NOT VIEW IF YOU ARE YET TO SEE THE LAST BUT ONE AND LAST EPISODE OF DOCTOR WHO SERIES 4

Daleks Speak German

SPOILER WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE PENULTIMATE EPISODE AND THE FINALE OF DOCTOR WHO SERIES 4 THEN DO NOT PRESS PLAY ON THIS VIDEO AS IT CONTAINS A SCENE FROM ONE OF THOSE EPISODES.

Edinburgh here we come

image copyright stuckonscotland.co.uk 2008

Edinburgh here we come: Join Martin will be on the move next week as I have a bit of a holiday. For a few days, beady eyed people in Edinburgh may just catch a glimpse of a bloke wearing a JOIN MARTIN T Shirt. In other words, I'm off to Edinburgh. Hotel booked, tickets booked, train times checked (I could have gone on the plane or spent eight hours on a National Express coach but I like trains) and bags being packed as I write. Sun (well, maybe not) Sea (possibly), Sex (I should be so lucky)...I'm excited about the holiday and looking forward to finally visiting Scotland.

Review Coming Soon

image copyright Steve G Jones 2008

Read my interview with Steve G Jones here

Review Coming Soon: Having purchased Master A Foreign Language and having loaded it onto my MP3 player, I will be listening to it for the recommended period and reviewing it on the blog.

I will let you know how I get on.

image copyright SCOLA 2008.

I Should Really Be In Bed…. Well, I’m not sure if this is dedication or addiction but here I am. Here in the UK, it is just about twenty past midnight-the witching hour, as they used to say in old folklore- and I’m sat here posting on the JOIN MARTIN blog. I’d just like to say thanks to those who have posted comments on my blog in the past week. Your support and feedback makes it all worthwhile.

How many languages have I “got on the go” at the moment? Well, I’ve been learning: Bulgarian, Swedish, Irish, Welsh, French, Scots Gaelic, German, Dutch, Italian, Urdu, Hindi and Greek recently. I am enjoying the Join Martin Challenge but sometimes, taking on the task of learning as many languages as possible in just 1 year appears daunting. It is only human to doubt. Can it really be done? If it can be done, am I the one to do it? Am I taking on too much?

Any task can be accomplished if you break it down into small enough chunks. If you’re learning a language, take things slowly. Start at the beginner level in your chosen language and then go from there. Learning is not a competitive art. What matters is that you have fun and develop as a person. Enjoy yourself and do not allow yourself to be held back by any thoughts that tell you you’ve taken on too much. If you feel like you want to give up, you’re doing something right as, if it was easy, it really wouldn’t be worth it.

Welsh Phrase of the Day

image copyright Cardiff University/Cardiff University School of Physics & Astronomy 2008.

Welsh Phrase Of The Day

Click here to go to omniglot.com and hear the audio version of this phrase.

Welsh:

Iechyd da!

English:

Cheers! or Good Health!

Click here for The Learn Welsh Podcast

Click here for Cadw Swn Learn Welsh course

Jakers Again!

JAKERS: It’s That Pig Again: Here’s the Scots Gaelic version of the theme music to the popular kids TV show ‘Jakers’ (copyrighted to Entara 2008, all rights reserved).

Below is the English version. See how much of the Scots Gaelic you can pick up from listening to both versions:

What's In A Thank You

image copyright 007flowers.co.uk 2008.

JOIN MARTIN is not affiliated with this company.

WHAT'S IN A THANK YOU: Well, here in the UK the weather outside is frightful but I have no warm and cosy fire to call delightful. Before I get into trouble for appalling paraphrases of Christmas songs I should explain in simple English that, as usual, the UK summer is damp, dreary and dull. Now, I like Autumn and I like Winter but think of those people who don't and you will soon understand those who become frustrated at the lack of light, heat and long summer days.

I've been learning many languages for a few months now and one thing I have noticed is that many languages have different words and phrases to say one thing: "Thank you".

It all depends on what someone has done for you. If they've held the door of your hotel open for you then a simple "Thank You" will suffice. But, if they pulled you and your family out of a burning car and then held the door of the hospital open whilst the paramedics rushed your nearest in dearest inside for urgent treatment, then you're going to have to use a whole other phrase to express your gratitude.

In some languages, there's a slang way of saying "Thank You" and a formal way of saying "Thank You" and you have to be careful which one you use as some people find the use of the slang "Thank you" vulgar.

That said, learning how to say "Thank you" in a foreign language is one of the best ways to make new friends and make a good impression on your trip, business meeting, conference etc. You express gratitude and you demonstrate that you've made the effort to learn how to be polite in a foreign language.

Once again, for reading this blog, I thank you.

Spanish Phrase of the Day

image copyright enchantedlearning.com 2008

SPANISH PHRASE OF THE DAY:

content copyright BBC 2008. Join Martin is not affiliated with the BBC.

SPANISH PHRASE:

Me llamo...

ENGLISH:

My name is...

CLICK HERE TO GO TO BBC.co.uk/languages to hear more Spanish phrases

CLICK HERE FOR COFFEE BREAK SPANISH

CLICK HERE FOR DISCOVER SPANISH PODCAST

CLICK HERE FOR SURVIVAL PHRASES SPANISH PODCASTS

CLICK HERE FOR WORLD NOMADS PODCASTS

Welsh Phrase of the Day

image copyright Cardiff University/Cardiff University School of Physics & Astronomy 2008.

Welsh Phrase Of The Day

Dw i ddim yn deall

English:

I don’t understand

Click here to go to omniglot.com and hear the audio version of this phrase.

Click here for The Learn Welsh Podcast

Click here for Cadw Swn Learn Welsh course

Thank You

THANK YOU

I must express my deepest thanks to those wonderful people who helped to keep this blog going during my recent illness. From editing my handwritten scrawl into legible copy to posting and keeping an eye on the stats, a small number of great friends did their best to make sure that this blog continued to provideuptodate coverage for its readers.

I have now taken charge of the blog and I will be writing, editing and posting all on my own but I needed to spend a few moments saying thanks to those who kept the Join Martin Challenge going when Martin was down

Italian Phrase Of The Day

Image copyright mapsofworld.com 2008.

Content copyright BBC 2008.

Italian Phrase of the Day:

Ho una prenotazione

English:

I've got a reservation

CLICK HERE TO HEAR AND DOWNLOAD THE PHRASE AND OTHER PHRASES IN MP3 FORMAT.

JOIN MARTIN IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE BBC.

French Phrase of The Day

image copyright French-flag.org 2008

Content copyright BBC 2008.

FRENCH PHRASE OF THE DAY:

FRENCH:

Vous parlez anglais ?

ENGLISH:

Do you speak English?

Click here to visit bbc.co.uk/languages where you can download an MP3 of this and other French Phrases

Welsh Phrase of the Day

image copyright Cardiff University/Cardiff University School of Physics & Astronomy 2008.

Welsh Phrase Of The Day

Welsh:

Noswaith dda

English:

Good Evening

Click here to go to omniglot.com and hear the audio version of this phrase.

Click here for The Learn Welsh Podcast

Click here for Cadw Swn Learn Welsh course

The Language Of Love

image copyright Radio Lingua 2008

The Language Of Love: These podcasts were created for Valentine's Day but provided a year round introduction to how to "get close" to someone you find attractive by chatting and flirting in many different languages.

If you want my opinion, the chat up line: "What beautiful eyes you have..." sounds like a line from Red Riding Hood and doesn't really work in any language but there's always a first time for everything.

Learn Hindi

Learn Hindi: Here's a video from youtube to help you learn some words and phrases in Hindi. All copyrights remain with the creators of the material.

Learn German

Go to the website

Get the podcast

Learn German: Despite the rather odd lesson topic in one of the podcasts entitled: "What's that cabbage called?" this is a really good podcast series to help you learn German.

Welsh Phrase of the Day

image copyright Cardiff University/Cardiff University School of Physics & Astronomy 2008.

Welsh Phrase Of The Day

Thank you to Kate M for requesting a "Welsh Phrase Of The Day" post on this blog. Here's today's Welsh phrase:

Esgusodwch fi!

English: Excuse me

Click here to go to omniglot.com and hear the audio version of this phrase.

Click here for The Learn Welsh Podcast

Click here for Cadw Swn Learn Welsh course

Urdu phrase of the day

URDU PHRASE OF THE DAY:

images and content copyright BBC Online 2008

Urdu:

Kiy aap angrezi boltay haen

English:

Do you speak English? (male Speaker)

Urdu:

Kiya aap angrarzee boulti haen

English:

Do you speak English? (female speaker)

Learn French With The Times

image copyright The Times/The Times Online 2008.

Learn French With The Times: To be fair, I was ill and waiting for my new bed to be delivered last Saturday so I can be forgiven for having missed this offer in the UK national newspaper (also sold outside the UK) The Times.

I don't have a copy of any of the CDs and I have no further information about this offer but it looks like a great way to help your child/children to learn their first few words in French.

There are free resources on the website for your to download and the CDS are available each day for the rest of this week when you purchase The Times in WH Smith stores in the UK (I have no details or information about whether this offer is available on an international basis).

Learn Swedish

image copyright survivalphrases.com 2008

Learn Swedish:

GET THE PODCAST

Way back in 2000- before the wonderful autumn descended, queues formed at petrol stations across the land as the fuel ran dry and the trucks blocked the roads and before the rain fell from the sky and I arrived in Wales to begin an amazing chapter of my life- I visited the wonderful country of Sweden.

I saw the Vassar sitting in the dark, patiently waiting to pound the waves once again. I saw the culture museum, I went on a trip on the water and enjoyed walking around the wonderful city of Stockholm.

Of course, back then, I had no knowledge of the language (I've only just started learning it now) but the people were very friendly and I had an amazing time.

My quest to become multilingual has never been about "showing off". Ok, so being able to say "please could you turn off your cellphone" in several languages is a neat little party trick and you can impress people by ordering a pizza in Italian but that really isn't the point. The point is, for me at least, to meet new people, make new friends and discover more about the world.

So, grab your MP3 player (or just download the podcast onto your PC or listen to it online) and start learning Swedish. I know what you're thinking: "But I don't know anyone who is Swedish...." That's just it: you don't know anyone who is Swedish YET.

What you think of Join Martin

Our Reviews "nice way to learn languages..good work with embeding the youtube videos, the page is loading up in no time even though it looks so animated" adithya top10songsdownload.50webs.com Get your own reviews, free traffic at

Where Do Your Parents Work

Barlcays logo design copyright Barclays 2008

Image from mobiletor.com.

Where Do Your Parents Work: Every two weeks, one half of my French GCSE class would offer up a collective moan to the four winds as those rose from their seats to face the dreaded French oral teacher. You'd tell her your name a thousand times but she'd still insist upon calling you Luke. Of course, not all French oral teachers are alike but I always got the sense that the majority of my class would rather have had double maths than endure fifty minutes of the dreaded French oral teacher.

Given that I am currently trying to learn as many languages as possible in just 1 year, you'd be forgiven for thinking I must have been a bit of a swot in my FrenchGCSE class. Surely, I was the pupil who could count to 100 in French in record time and produce an hour long speech on the latest developments in French art. Well, not exactly...

As a class, we worked together. When the teacher asked us to describe the local cinema, we'd simply answer "Bof" (so, so) and that would be the end of the matter. And another trick we learnt was to pretend that each one of our fathers worked in a bank. We'd all worked out how to say that our father worked in a bank and- even if he was actually a painter or decorator or a highly respected patent agent and attorney- we all colluded in the great pretence that our father worked in the local bank. The French oral teacher- not yet wise to ourmalevolence- assumed that the local bank only employed local people or else was the largest bank on the face of the earth.

The one week and one day challenges are coming up very soon and perhaps it really is time for me to learn how to say what my Dad really does for a living in French.

Note: Join Martin is not affiliated with Barclays Bank and other banks are available.

Welcome to July

Welcome to July

In May, thirteen hundred people discovered the Join Martin blog for the first time. In June, over eighteen hundred people discovered the blog for the first time. The blog is a great success and is now read in the UK, United States, New Zealand and Canada. You've reviewed the blog and given me lots of feedback and this blog has grown and developed because of your suggestions. Thank you to visitors new and regular. I really appreciate your support.

I haven't been well recently but I have pretty much recovered and am working to take the Join Martin Blog to the next level.

Irish Chat Up Lines

Irish chat up lines: Short video from Youtube showing you how to chat people up in Irish.

Italian Survival phrase 1

Italian Survival Phrase 1:

English: I need something for a stomach ache.

Italian: Ho bisogno di qualcosa per il mal di stomaco.

Welsh National Anthem

Welsh National Anthem: I'm enjoying learning a many languages as possible in just 1 year. But one language I would love to have a good, conversational grasp of is Welsh. Wales will always have a special place in my heart. I've learned a number of Welsh phrases and Jason's excellent Learn Welsh Podcast and Colin Jones's Cadw Swn course (review coming soon) have helped me pick up more Welsh than I ever thought possible. But I still need to work on my Welsh. If you want to learn anything, you have to be fluent in the two t's: Talent and Tenacity.

One Man's Curry

One man's curry is another man's bucket: I type this blog post from deep in the heart of the "Balti Triangle", an area of Birmingham where finding an Indian takeaway is easier than breathing.

However, according to this BBC Online article about "Hinglish" (the collision of Hindi and English), I'd be more likely to get a bucket than a curry if I asked for a "balti" in India. You learn something new every day.

All images copyright BBC 2008.

Urdu phrase of the day

Image copyright BBC 2008

URDU PHRASE OF THE DAY:

Aap say milkar khushi hoee

English:

Pleased to meet you

Phrases from A Guide To Urdu, part of the BBC languages pages. Copyright BBC 2008

Daily Mail

Front page of Daily Mail 30/06/08

Copyright Daily Mail 2008.

Daily Mail: The Daily Mail national newspaper (30th of June edition) features a special offer where readers can get a free (some postage and packing costs apply) LINGUAPHONE holiday pack including a phrasebook and CD.

The Join Martin Challenge is not affiliated with Linguaphone or with The Daily Mail. Today's edition of the Daily Mail newspaper can be purchased from shops and newsagents across the UK and elsewhere. I have no further details concerning this offer. Other national newspapers are available.

The Simpsons

THE SIMPSONS:

Here's a French TV ad featuring everybodys' favourite TV family: The Simpsons.

Start Early

image copyright BBC 2008

LATEST NEWS FROM BBC NEWS is that more primary school children in England are learning a language according to research conducted for the government. Read the article here.

Learn Bulgarian

image copyright survivalphrases.com. 2008.

LEARN BULGARIAN: This has been a really difficult week for me and having a nasty stomach bug hasn't helped. But I'm on the mend now and about to up the stakes when it comes to language learning.

Next week, I'll be learning BULGARIAN.

Should be fun. I hope this blog has inspired you to "have a go" at learning a language. If it has, please do email me at martydrury@mail.com and tell me all about your language learning adventures.

Learn Polish

Update

UPDATE

A pretty serious bout of fever and stomach illness has meant that I'm not in the best of health this week. The language learning continues and so do the blog posts but I've been told (ordered) to take things slowly for the next couple of days.

The whole experience reminded me how frightening it is for anyone to realise they are ill, especially if they realise such a thing in a country where they don't speak the language. Join Martin is happy to help and will soon be publishing a series of holiday survival phrases in many different languages.

Stay tuned and watch this space.