How to kiss in Spain - and how not to
What is the etiquette for kissing in Spain? Can everyone kiss anyone? No! There is a code of conduct, which Rubiales recently famously broke
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Andrew Wenger
- Aug 6
- 2 min
Japanese course for beginners
You might be surprised at how straight-forward it is to learn spoken Japanese. Reading & writing is a different matter but...
Andrew Wenger
- Jul 25
- 2 min
The bluff response (of the language-learner)
Learning grammar and vocab is important, but... how to navigate a real-life conversation? Knowing how to bluff is a vital skill to master
Andrew Wenger
- May 24
- 5 min
Collective nouns: Un meurtre de corbeaux? (Fr) / Un asesinato de cuervos (Sp) / Ein Mord von Krähen
The eccentric collective nouns in English are more fun than useful, but do they have the equivalent absurdities in other languages?
Andrew Wenger
- May 5
- 3 min
A case of German cases
Cases. Latin has lots. German has 4, but most people only really use 3 of them. English has one and a half! Learn the German basics here
Andrew Wenger
- May 1
- 6 min
A lot of 'nyms', and a bit of nimbyism
The suffix -nym comes from Greek (name). We all know about synonyms and acronyms, but what about contronyms and exonyms? And plenty more...
Andrew Wenger
- Apr 9
- 4 min
How to pronounce the French word: "plus"
The pronunciation of the French word "plus" can be problematic. Is the 's' silent or not? Or sounded like a 'z'? This should clarify...
Andrew Wenger
- Apr 9
- 6 min
Euphony: the art of smooth talking
Euphony is the convention of making changes to spelling and/or pronunciation in order to make a given set of words more pleasing on the ear
Andrew Wenger
- Apr 2
- 3 min
“As camp as a mushroom”
Which is the odd one out: mushrooms, Champagne, bell-ringing, effeminate behaviour? The Latin word 'campus' has fathered most of them...
Andrew Wenger
- Mar 27
- 2 min
Language families of Europe
Which of the European languages are related to each other? And how closely?
Andrew Wenger
- Mar 23
- 2 min
Names of birds in foreign languages
The names of birds in foreign languages are fascinating. By turns enlightening, beautiful or just great fun. If you love birds and words...
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 28
- 5 min
The Celtic influence on English
English is between 2 stools: A Germanic language heavily influenced by Latin/French? Vice versa? The role of Celtic is often over-looked...
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 17
- 2 min
Etymology meets entomology: French expressions with insects
Etymology meets entomology: French expressions with insects
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 13
- 5 min
Inclusive Language in German
Do you embrace gender-neutral language, or yearn for the time when everything was simpler? It's far more complicated in German than English
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 13
- 4 min
“¡Hola a todos!”
What is the best way to address a mixed group of people in Spanish? At one level it is simple, but tread carefully through this minefield...
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 4
- 7 min
But why do they have to have masculine and feminine?
The question crops up quite regularly in our languages lessons: Why do they feel the need to have masculine and feminine words?
Andrew Wenger
- Jan 28
- 4 min
What are phrasal verbs (in English)?
Phrasal verbs: The 2nd in the series of hints about an aspect of English, and how this knowledge can be useful when learning Latin languages
Andrew Wenger
- Jan 13
- 3 min
Parts of speech (in any language)
Basics of grammar. A 1-pager to guide you through the different types of words that make up a language: English and the one you are studying
Andrew Wenger
- Dec 28, 2022
- 2 min
Some seasonal German words
Learning German? Here are some advanced words and phrases to spice up your seasonal conversation: wichteln, Silvestermuffel, Guten Rutsch...
Andrew Wenger
- Nov 23, 2022
- 1 min
What is the "chicken phase" of the World Cup?
The "group stage" is "la phase de poules" in French. When we talk about 'pooling our resources' that's where the word comes from
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