Blog

November 18, 2011 | Hebrew

Coffee Shop as Hebrew Language Lab

Aroma is turning out to be an unbelievable language-learning resource.

I think a couple of Aroma’s employees think I am kind of a loser, because I have been spending an inordinate amount of time there. Fully Equipped at Aroma: Coffee, Alphabet Book, and Unsuspecting Israeli Tutors But it is…

December 11, 2011 | Hebrew

Status Report: Hebrew

What is up with my Hebrew studies.

Since I last wrote, much has happened. Despite the silence on this blog, I have logged many Hebrew hours, studying every day. I have learned the Hebrew alphabet and am on the 45th of 90 half-hour Pimsleur lessons available for Hebrew. …

December 15, 2011 | Hebrew

Rosetta Stone Skepticism

I find a poor correlation between marketing dollars and learning efficacy.

Since I began this project in the summer of 2009, I cannot tell you how many times people have asked me whether I am using Rosetta Stone. Well done, Rosetta Stone! Everyone seems to have heard of you. Rosetta Stone at…

December 19, 2011 | Hebrew

Studying Hebrew, Heading to Italy

On the eve of an Italy vacation, I simply cannot make up my mind which language to study.*

Tomorrow I head off for eight days in Italy. Brandt and I are visiting his sister and her family in Genoa for the holiday. Trying to decide which language to study right now—Hebrew or Italian—has been causing me…

December 26, 2011 | Hebrew

Can Studying Be an Addiction?

As soon as I got on the plane for Italy, I started in on Italian again.

Compulsive behavior is a blessing and a curse. But at least in its more benign forms, I find it a blessing. On the Streets of Genoa When you really want to do something, you tend to go all out. In…

December 27, 2011 | Hebrew

Gift Idea for Next Holiday Season

Learn your significant other's native language so you can dazzle your in-laws!

I am still in Genoa on a family vacation. When studying, I have been relieved to discover that it has not been a problem to flip back and forth between Hebrew and Italian lessons. Genoa Is Beautiful. Imagine Doing Your…

December 30, 2011 | Hebrew

Language Games on KLM Airplanes

On seatbacks, you can compete in Hindi, Japanese, Greek, and many other languages.

Yesterday Brandt and I returned to New York from Genoa. I studied hours and hours on the way home, trying to get back into the Hebrew groove. Bus from Genoa to Milan. No Flash, Because I Didn’t Think That…

January 7, 2012 | Hebrew

Flu Shots: Good for Language Learning

You can study through colds, but the flu is another story.

On January 1, I realized I forgot to get a flu shot this year. The reason I remembered on January 1 is that I came down with the flu. At first I thought it was food poisoning, but its persistence, and some…

February 4, 2012 | Hebrew

Studying and Overcaffeinated

Project update, plus a pretty silly language-learning ad.

It has been 29 days since my last blog entry and I have…studied. Multilingual Coffee at Aroma I really have, and every day. I just didn’t happen to blog about it, because life intruded, and while I love writing…

February 10, 2012 | Hebrew

Back to College

For an hour, I attend Columbia University.

On Wednesday I visited a first-year Hebrew class at Columbia University. I arranged this visit with Dr. Rina Kreitman, who is the Hebrew program coordinator for the department of MESAAS. Entrance, Columbia University MESAAS? I had to turn to Google…