Word for the Travel Wise (10/29/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Culture in Iceland? Of course there is culture in Iceland and tons of it! Check out the country events guide if you don’t believe me and to point your attention to one that especially caught my eye look for the African Souvenirs in Iceland Exhibition taking place until 12, November 2006. Could be a pretty cool cultural event to check out, otherwise being in Iceland should be a cultural experience in its own.

Today’s word is an Icelandic word used in Iceland:

menning – culture

Háskóli Íslands, one of the universities offers an excellent free starter course to learning Icelandic. Pictures, text, and audio for sample conversations are included. European Youth Portal points out other sources of study within the country and distance learning. I’ve met several speakers with My Language Exchange. Lastly, check out the BBC for a few easy phrases to help get you around the town.

Past Icelandic words: söngkona/söngvari, himnaríki, velkomin, dýrt

Word for the Travel Wise (10/27/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Iva touched on Central Europe’s woes last month around this very same time and if you’re the revolutionary type student protest and shady government scandal could make Hungary, Poland or the Czech Republic your destination of choice. On the flipside for those of us who don’t wish to experience any parts of the drama while vacationing, but happen to get stuck in smack dab in the middle of some yuck situation this word is for you.

Today’s word is a Magyar (Hungarian) word used in Hungary:

segítség – help

The Hungarian lingo is a Finno-Ugric language, which you can learn more about at Wikipedia, right now let’s stick to the places you can learn it for free. Hungarotips is a completely free site with beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons. This impulzus web page has everything you’d basically find in a LP guide. There’s no audio, so read a little about the alphabet and then find someone who’s willing to make sure you speak like a local. The verbal exchange will be very rewarding I am sure. As always remember to scope out the BBC for basic lang downloads.

Past Hungarian words: köszönöm, vásárlók könyve, hangverseny, kijárat

Word for the Travel Wise (10/13/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Boo! Yup, it is Friday the 13th folks and I’m sure you’ve all been shaking in your boots and paying extra attention to the cracks in the sidewalk on this semi-special day. Seen any black cats? Perhaps you’re on your way to the theater to soak in all the ghoulish, chop-chop, and gory cinema black magic you can take… However you decide to spend the day; locked up behind closed doors or night crawling on the town be safe and remember never talk to strangers!

Today’s word is Kreyòl (Haitian creole) word used in Haiti:

move – evil

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Past Kreyòl words: evite, il/zile, voryen, chalè

Word for the Travel Wise (10/12/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Occasionally for some of the harder languages to learn online, I try to go back and do some more site searching. It can be an exhausting task at times. Many sites are just dead ends to error messages or really aren’t worth visiting, but here is one for the Somali language I think will work great if you are interested! They have a list of some 600 English to Somali words which should put anyone off to an awesome start. I believe the site was started to help Somali speakers learn English, but really it should help anyone.

Today’s word is a Somali word used in Somalia:

waddan – country (also noted as “dal” in Somali)

Since Somali isn’t spoken by a large population learning the language online for free will be a difficult task to accomplish. Start with this Fortunecity site. They offer a 600 word English to Somali dictionary and vice versa. You maybe able to find an exchange partner online at My Language Exchange, provided there are Somali speakers registered with the site. Your best bet would be travel within the country, finding a local tutor or purchasing language software from African Language dot com. Their CD-ROM is priced at $99 USD, so may wish to shop around before buying.

Past Somali words: maxaad shektay, qaalin, khapar, aabbe

Word for the Travel Wise (10/10/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Just as fall begins it seems as though winter weather comes bulldozing its way in complete with snow flurries and flakes. Now in my mind it couldn’t be a more beautiful or romantic time to plan a holiday in France and this Pyrenees winter walking excursion looks perfect if you share my same thoughts. Responsible Travel has several departure dates in December as well as early 2007, but if you’re not into package deals use their info as a guide and build your own trip. I’m not a big fan of packaged programs either, but I must say this one kicking off in the French spa town of Luchon does seem pretty decent.

Today’s word is a French word used in France:

neige – snow

French is the third largest Romance language in the world in terms of native speakers according to the Wikipedia and is the official language of 29 countries. There are a number of places to learn French abroad which include Canada and Switzerland in addition to France. Amerispan offers immersion programs in all three of the countries and more info can be found by clicking here. Search other study abroad programs at some of these sites here: Coeur de France, Accord French Language School, and Transitions Abroad to name only a few. Swing over to My Language Exchange where you are sure to find someone willing to exchange their lingo skills for some of your own. Free online sources for learning French include France-Pub, French Assistant, and the BBC Languages.

Past French words: confiture, difficile, frottis, ma reum (mère), pensées, vélo, croire