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.

Steve G Jones interview

Image source: www.stevegjones.com

Steve G Jones has helped people around the world to transform their lives. Now, his Master A Foreign Language hypnosis CD and MP3 is giving us all the power to learn the lingo. Martin Drury met up with him.

Martin Meets Steve G Jones, Clinical Hypnotherapist.

Credit: stevegjones.com

Why did you decide to create the “Master A Foreign Language” hypnosis recording?

I decided to create the “Master a Foreign Language” because I received a lot of emails requesting it! People told me about how they were trying to learn a new language and they wanted a hypnosis program that would help them achieve it.

I’m learning as many languages as possible in just 1 year. How can your “Master A Foreign Language” recording help me?

The program “Master A Foreign Language” will help open your mind to learning new words and phrases and give you the ability to put them all together in order to learn one new language or several. Hypnosis is powerful and this recording specifically allows you to absorb as much information as possible. Learning another language involves a lot of material and practice. This program allows you to concentrate on the material and learn at an accelerated pace.

Should you listen to “Master A Foreign Language” each day before you start your languages studies, should you listen to it once you’ve finished your languages studies for the day or can you listen to it at any time?

The recording should be listened to at night for 21 nights before going to bed. At the end of the recording, you will hear suggestions to relax and fall asleep. The program is meant to be used in conjunction with learning a language.

I notice there are Gold and Platinum editions of “Master A Foreign Language. Could you briefly (as more detailed info is available on your website) explain the difference between the two?

The “Master A Foreign Language” gold recording is 30 minutes long meant for people who want a powerful program but in less time. The “Master A Foreign Language” platinum recording is 60 minutes long. The part that focuses on mastering a foreign language is longer and more powerful. The platinum series also includes the top sound engineering techniques available to relax the listener.

Finally, my challenge is to learn as many languages as possible in just 1 year in order to encourage people to pluck up the courage and learn a language. I need to be less self conscious about making mistakes, I need more confidence and I need to make sure my attitude towards my studies remains positive. Do you have any advice that could help me with those issues and my challenge?

Absolutely! Confidence is an issue at the core of so many things, including learning a language. Learning several foreign languages takes motivation, confidence, and a positive attitude. The program targets these issues so that you continue to learn and concentrate on each language. Since you are trying to learn many languages in one year, I encourage you to continue to listen to the recording as needed beyond the suggested 21 nights. Learning a new language improves your memory and is a very important skill to have in our constantly expanding global community.

Thank you to Steve G Jones. The Master A Foreign Language title and many other products on Steve’s website are currently on special offer. These savings EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY 24th June. Click here to save

3000 people JOIN MARTIN

Welcome to a brand new week on the Join Martin blog. The GREAT NEWS is that over 3000 people have visited this blog since its creation a few months ago.

This week, the first of our interviews will be published and I'll be updating you on my progress so far with the language learning challenge.

Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled this week.

How NOT to speak Italian

How NOT to speak Italian: If you’re worried about making a mistake while speaking a foreign language, don’t fret. You can’t do any worse than Homer Simpson’s very own heir apparent, Peter Griffin from Family Guy.

NOTE: Family Guy is a cartoon show with adult humour.

Learn Italian

LEARN ITALIAN

A great video from The Travel Linguist giving you some basic Italian phrases.

Improve Your English

IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH

Whilst I’m off on the JOIN MARTIN CHALLENGE and learning many new languages from around the world, I haven’t forgotten that many of you are or would like to learn English. Perhaps you’ve moved to the UK for work or are coming to the country I call home for a holiday. And no, before you ask, we don’t all speak as if we have plums in our mouths. In this instance, do not believe American TV shows. British people have many different languages (English, Welsh, Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, Cornish etc) and dialects. The UK is a melting pot of cultures and languages and, everytime I look at the flag of my country, I am reminded and made proud once again that both my grandfathers and other members of my family stood with other brave men and women from many different countries to stand in the way of the Nazis and protect the freedoms I enjoy in this country and so often take foregranted.

Yes, it rains a lot in my country but it’s a great place to visit and all are welcome.

I finally have my DS console and this is a personal recommendation (I’ve played the game). My Word Coach is a great game for those who have a basic understanding of English but want to improve their vocabulary. I’m fluent and I didn’t know some of the words. Give it a try.

How's Your Maths?

HOW'S YOUR MATHS?

JOIN MARTIN is a great success and has helped to encourage people in 3 countries to learn a language. Details are sketchy at present as the JOIN MARTIN languages challenge is still on going and will be until 2009. That is the main focus and will remain so until the end of the JOIN MARTIN CHALLENGE.

But a decision has been made to take the “JOIN MARTIN” idea forward and to apply it to other subjects. New challenges are coming in the future and, hopefully, JOIN MARTIN will help make learning fun and a positive experience for everyone. Some people are good at some things whilst others are good at other things but, with a bit of self confidence and the courage to “have a go”, anyone and everyone can achieve at anything.

Basic Irish

BASIC IRISH

BASIC IRISH: Here’s a video from Youtube which shows you how to say a few words and phrases in Irish. The video is from Youtube.com and was created by/is copyrighted by the wonderful (and, in my opinion, stunning), Jessica. I’ve really learned a lot from her videos.

Told You Ireland Is Beautiful

TOLD YOU IRELAND IS BEAUTIFUL

I told people in my post on learning the Irish language that Ireland is a beautiful country. Well, you don’t have to take my word for it.

This is a video I found on Youtube. It’s from one of the series of the BBC’s COAST tv programme and features Dr Alice Roberts visiting Skellig Michael.

Dr Alice Roberts is, quite frankly, amazing. She has a wonderful gift for taking the most complicated subject you could imagine and making it easy for anyone to understand it and enjoy understanding it. I interviewed her in 2004 and, if you’d like to understand more about how the human body works, you can buy her book here:

More Reviews

Our Reviews "An interesting blog detailing learning various languages in the short time, plus the writer is multifaceted and is a reviewer as well..this is definitely a site worth revisiting." Timothy lawofattraction-tc.blogspot.com/ "Good work on your website. You have an interesting concept and unique ideas. Good luck with it!" Crystal loventhesetimes.blogspot.com/ Get your own reviews, free traffic at

Latest Join Martin Reviews

Our Reviews "I like the site. It's got some good information. I enjoyed the video on how to speak French. It reminded me of the 4 yrs of high school French I took." tam crazyfamilyof9.blogspot.com/ Get your own reviews, free traffic at

Learn Irish

image copyright BBC/BBC Online 2008

LEARN IRISH

Ireland is a beautiful country and Irish is a beautiful language. My interest in learning Irish was ignited long before I started the JOIN MARTIN challenge by a wonderful series of online Irish language lessons called:

Giota Beag

(The above translates as “A Wee Bit” or “A Little bit”)

With “Giota Beag”, you learn Irish a little bit at a time and in a fun and entertaining way. You also get some great tips about how to make learning a language easy and enjoyable.

Try it for yourself here

Learn Chinese For The Olympics

LEARN CHINESE FOR THE OLYMPICS

image copyright BBC 2008

LEARN CHINESE FOR THE OLYMPICS: BBC Online have added essential Chinese phrases for the Olympics to the Chinese section of their languages website.

You can play the phrases online or download them to your MP3 player.

Check them out here

COFFEE BREAK FRENCH

COFFEE BREAK FRENCH: Here at JOIN MARTIN, I read, listen to and respond to your feedback. A few days ago, a woman from America reviewed the website (and joined the Facebook.com group- thank you) and told me she needed to learn French.

The above video is from COFFEE BREAK FRENCH and it's an introduction to their podcast series. Should have you speaking French in no time at all.

If you have feedback on the website or would like advice on language learning (I am not an expert on language learning. I am a fellow learner who has done a lot of research) please email me on:

martydrury@mail.com or join THE FACEBOOK GROUP and contact me there.

Spanish Art

SPANISH ART: If you like art and want to learn some Spanish phrases, this video is for you. WARNING: NOT REALLY FOR BEGINNER LEARNERS.

LEARN RUSSIAN

DUCK TALES IN GERMAN

DUCK TALES IN GERMAN: Watching children's programmes in a foreign language is a great way for children and adults to absorb key words and phrases. The above is the theme music for the Disney programme DUCK TALES in German. Enjoy.

DUCK TALES is copyrighted to Disney.

Travelling In Iceland

TRAVELLING IN ICELAND

GREAT VIDEO FROM EXPERT VILLAGE CONTAINING SOME USEFUL PHRASES IN ICELANDIC.

CAN'T EMBED THE VIDEO HERE SO CLICK HERE TO VIEW

Mi Vida Loca

image copyright BBC Online 2008

MI VIDA LOCA: The BBC has launched a new, interactive online drama which aims to help you “learn real Spanish”. There will be a review on this blog soon but for now, visit Mi Vida Loca

Urdu Phrase of The Day

image copyright BBC Online 2008.

URDU PHRASE OF THE DAY:

Here is the Urdu phrase of the day for today:

Assalam-o-Alekum

Meaning: Hello.

Canada Joins Martin

image copyright canadian-flag.org 2008

CANADA JOINS MARTIN

Today, I am really excited to reveal that the JOIN MARTIN blog is now being read in the wonderful country of Canada and a number of Canadians have taken up the JOIN MARTIN CHALLENGE to learn a language. Welcome to you all and thank you for visiting the blog.

I visited Canada in 1997. I travelled from New York to Ontario to see the Niagara Falls (les Chutes de Niagara). What an adventure that was. I have never been soaked so much in my life and I come from England. I know what falling water looks and feels like.

image copyright canadian-flag.org 2008

I really enjoyed my time in Canada and I hope I can repay the favour by making your visit to this blog an amazing experience. Any suggestions/feedback, please get in touch: martydrury@mail.com

2000 Join Martin

2000 people JOIN MARTIN

GREAT NEWS: The JOIN MARTIN BLOG & CHALLENGE have only been going for a few months. But what a few months it has been!

Over 2000 people have visited the JOIN MARTIN BLOG since its creation. Thank you to new and regular readers. Your support means everything. Be inspirational. Learn a language and discover new things about the world and about yourself.

Feedback is always appreciated and I am constantly updating and improving the site based on your recommendations. Email martydrury@mail.com

Today looks like being an amazing Monday with 130 new visitors to the blog so far today.

Don’t forget to start learning a language one word and one day at a time. Visit the SISTER BLOG to learn Italian, German, Portuguese, Irish, French & Spanish at your own pace.

And- to everyone who has plucked up the courage to learn a new language and/or has visited my blog and/or joined the Join Martin Challenge- I can only say: thank you and best wishes.

Claire Joins Martin

Our Reviews "OK, I will join Martin. I love learning languages. It was always the only thing I ever wanted to do and I have not been able to get my boyfriend to learn any (though we have lived somewhere not native for over a year)- I am making him visit your site because he says languages are boring. Though he did try learning German by watching the Simpsons in German:) Nice site- And I also love Shakira." Claire milospetpaintings.com "Very nice website so much information . " Nellys shop.healthbuy.com/554724 Get your own reviews, free traffic at

Latest Review

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Brand New Week

WELCOME TO A BRAND NEW WEEK ON

JOIN MARTIN

SEE THIS POST ON THE SISTER BLOG

Welcome to a brand new week on the JOIN MARTIN blog. Hello and thank you to all the regular readers and the new visitors to the blog. Last week was amazing. Over 400 people discovered the blog for the first time. The blog was read in L.A, Georgia and Minneapolis in the United States and I received more than 20 reviews of the website.

Keep your eyes peeled for some great new content launching soon. Head over to the SISTER BLOG and learn a word a day in Italian, French, Spanish, Irish, German and Portuguese. Have a great week.

The June 200

THE JUNE 200!

Here we are, 6 days into June and already over 200 people have discovered the JOIN MARTIN blog for the first time and we're well on our way to 300 new visitors this month. Thank you so much for your support.

Why not learn French, Italian, German, Irish, Spanish & Portuguese one word and one day at a time by visiting the JOIN MARTIN SISTER BLOG?

VISIT THE JOIN MARTIN HOMEPAGE HERE

Learning Spanish with Shakira

LEARNING SPANISH WITH SHAKIRA: I think the line in the song "She makes a man want to speak Spanish" sums it up perfectly. Yes, I'm talking about Shakira.

Back in another life- when I was a music journalist- I called Shakira: "The Embodiment of Passion" and, whilst some of you may scoff and question my taste in music (you aren't the first and you won't be the last, trust me) I stand by my opinion. I have several Shakira albums and I've even contemplated buying her Spanish albums. Why would I do that when I've only just started learning Spanish? The truth is, you end up really liking the songs and you want to understand the lyrics so you start learning Spanish.

Enjoy this live performance of "Hips Don't Lie" in Spanish. And keep your eyes on the make presenter who appears at the beginning of the video. He has an interesting way of expressing himself...

SEE THIS POST ON THE MAIN WEBSITE

Learn Japanese With Heroes

HEROES: A fun way to learn Japanese is to follow the adventures of Hiro in the hit TV series: HEROES

Hiro speaks Japanese and so do many of his friends. Viewers can learn Japanese and still understand what’s going on as English subtitles run along the bottom of the screen as Hiro speaks.

Heroes has become a multilingual show, with new characters speaking Spanish and one or two characters doing an appalling job putting on Irish accents.

Have fun with this adventure series and improve your Japanese at the same time.

Euro 2008

EURO 2008: Despite the conclusion of the Premier League and the Champions League and the FA Cup (as my Dad say: "There's not enough sport on TV!"), football is upon us once again in the shape of EURO 2008.

According to NUTS MAGAZINE, British fans will be supporting Spain. And, predictably, Sweden has, according to British men, the "sexiest" football fans.

So, if you're supporting Spain or one of the other nations in the tournament, you can start your language learning by learning some footy chants in Spanish, French, German, Italian etc. Have fun but remember to keep the chants polite and clean.

Update

UPDATE

UPDATE: How am I getting on with my language learning? I'm doing really well but I have to admit to struggling slightly when it comes to learning Spanish and Welsh. I can remember the words and phrases but, sometimes, making the right sounds with my mouth proves difficult. Remember, when speaking Spanish you have to Roll Your R's.

Learning Welsh is amazing fun but sometimes, I find it difficult to remember the the right sounds for the letters. I lived and studied in Wales for 3 years and it was one of the happiest times of my life and being able to speak Welsh has been an ambition ever since those years. I hope I can achieve that goal.

I wouldn't recommend you do this at work or in a public place (you may get some odd looks from people if you do) but the best way to practice key words and phrases in a language is to say them out loud as often as possible.

If you've plucked up the courage to learn a language but are struggling slightly, don't worry. World famous author and expert on learning, Tony Buzan told me (in an interview to be published soon) that he made mistakes when learning a language. Everybody does. Mistakes are learning opportunities. Use them well.

Those Little White Lies

THOSE LITTLE WHITE LIES: Just like to thank my friend, the fantastic freelance journalist, Alex Gazzola for passing this press release onto me.

According to consumer research conducted by LearnDirect: 60% of men between the ages of 18 and 25 often tell little white lies in the pub or bar.

For those who admit to bending the truth, the figures show that:

# 47% claim to possess a skill or talent they don’t have
# 33% boast about being better at a sport than they really are
# 32% frequently exaggerate about their work related responsibilities to give the impression they rule the roost
# 31% lie about owning shiny new goods such as a car or electronic equipment
# 28% admit to false bravado when it comes to stories of success with the opposite sex

Being a man, I’m aware of ‘Male Bravado’. I’ve listened to many speeches from friends who have claimed to have had a trial for Man Utd football even though they’ve never actually been to Manchester. Sometimes, bending the truth is a way of getting ahead at work or feeling secure with yourself when you’re in a group of people, especially if you want those people to look up to and respect you.

But why not get some real skills to brag about? Imagine your friend’s faces as you charm a beautiful Italian woman with your knowledge of conversational Italian. Imagine how impressed your work mates will be when you get that big contract from the French firm because you were the only one in the office who knew how to speak French. You can make that possible. Learn A Language. Join Martin.

New Review

Our Reviews "I like your site very much. I may learn new languages such as German, Spanish and so on. Simple and attractive web design. Love it." cy cyeat.blogspot.com Get your own reviews, free traffic at

Price Cut

GET UP TO 40% OFF LANGUAGE LEARNING PRODUCTS HERE

(If you're reading this on joinmartin,blogspot.com, you're already on the right website. Look for the link on the right hand side)

Join Martin has discovered that Amazon.co.uk are offering up to 40% off on a selection of language learning products. As many of our readers are interested in finding out how to get started learning a language, we thought we'd bring this your attention. Click here and look for the link on the right hand side.

Latest Review

Our Reviews "Interesting topics and links. From tips for travelling in Germany to language learning methods for many languages. Learn a word-a-day in German, Italian, Spanish, French and more. " FREE Phones! cheapestsmartphones.com Get your own reviews, free traffic at

The June 100

THE JUNE 100

Just wanted to say a quick thank you. We’re 4 days in and over 100 people have discovered the JOIN MARTIN BLOG so far this month. Welcome to visitors both new and regular. I really appreciate your support.

DON’T FORGET TO VISIT OUR SISTER BLOG

LEARN FRENCH, ITALIAN, SPANISH, GERMAN, PORTUGUESE & IRISH

ONE WORD & ONE DAY AT A TIME HERE

LEARN FRENCH
LEARN SPANISH
LEARN ITALIAN
LEARN PORTUGUESE
LEARN GERMAN
LEARN IRISH

LEARN A LANGUAGE ONE WORD AND ONE DAY AT A TIME.

USE THE WORD OF THE DAY WIDGETS TO YOUR RIGHT

OR VISIT THE MAIN WEBSITE:


WWW.JOINMARTIN.WORDPRESS.COM

Join Martin Reviewed Again

JOIN MARTIN WEBSITE REVIEWED AGAIN:

Our Reviews "Excellent Idea - Could make a lot of cash. Your pages loaded quickly. colour contrast was good. My blessing with the good work" Dulcie trafficexplodesincome.blogspot.com Get your own reviews, free traffic at

Welcome To A Brand New Week

WELCOME TO A BRAND NEW WEEK ON JOIN MARTIN: Welcome to regular readers and new visitors to this blog. May was an amazing month for the blog and- though it is still early days- June looks like being an amazing month too.

I must just take a moment to thank Colin Jones of Cadw Swn who sent me a review copy of Cadw Swn and helped me with my Welsh even more by letting me download the Welsh Vocabulary builder and the MP3 audio file. I shall be reviewing all of those in the very near future but I just wanted to mention them here.

This week, I’m going to be relaunching the blog, adding to the reviews section, creating an “information” page, writing about new language learning podcasts that have been brought to my attention and providing you with as much of the latest language learning related news as I can get my hands on. So stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled.

Best wishes, have a great week…there’s lots to come on the Join Martin Blog as June begins.

Stumble It!

A Flavour of German

GET A FLAVOUR OF GERMAN FROM NEW PODCAST BY RADIO LINGUA.

NEWS: Radio Lingua- the people who brought you Coffee Break Spanish & Coffee Break French- have launched a new podcast series: Flavour of German.

I’ve been listening to this podcast and will be reviewing it shortly. Sometimes, just learning key words and phrases in a language can become boring. For example, I’ve learnt the Spanish for “Are you ready to order?” but unless I end up working as a waiter in a restaurant in Spain or Latin America, I can safely say I won’t find much use for the phrase. Sometimes, you need to go beyond the key words and phrases of “holiday survival” and embrace idioms, slang and phrases derived from a country’s popular culture. In other words: to talk like a native.

This podcast series helps you do just that.

I think you need a beginners grasp of German before listening to this podcast but don’t let that put you off. Have a listen and see if it is for you. If you need to brush up on your German before listening again, do so.

Can Short Cuts Work

Can Short Cuts Work?

Spend five minutes on the Internet and you will find thousands of websites which promise to provide you with a short cut to “LEARN A LANGUAGE FAST“.

But can short cuts work? Is it possible to learn a language quickly and easily and within no time at all?

Here at the Join Martin blog I encourage people to learn a language at their own pace and to use whatever technique, learning method or product they find works best for them. I will be using a variety of techniques, learning methods and products to help me with my challenge.

But I am a fan of accelerated learning and I have always been interested in how we can best achieve our potential.

Over the coming two weeks, I’ll be talking about accelerated learning products

Join Martin On Blogger.com

WWW.JOINMARTIN.WORDPRESS.COM

This is the Blogger.com version of the very popular JOIN MARTIN BLOG.

In order to take advantage of the many features that different blog sites have to offer, Join Martin now appears on Blogger.com.

www.joinmartin.wordpress.com remains the main site and the Wordpress and the Blogger.com sites will work in tandem with the content reproduced on the Blogger.com site.

What is Join Martin?

UK journalist, Martin Drury, has set himself a challenge: in order to encourage people to learn just 1 language, he's learning as many languages as possible in just 1 year!

The Join Martin Blog is already very popular and has been talked about in the USA. Hundreds visit the blog each week. Celeb interviews are in the pipeline and the blog features a range of material including: reviews, podcast news, language learning news stories, videos, audio materials and general information.

If you want to learn the lingo, JOIN MARTIN.