learn language before visiting

[Siobhan]

Not sure if it will be useful to anyone but if you are thinking of going somewhere strange this year, there is a great online language course you can take for almost every country.

The site is called BYKI (before you know it) and has the following languages


Albanian
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Belorussian
Bulgarian
Chinese
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
English
Farsi
French
Georgian
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hindi
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Kazakh
Korean
Latin
Macedonian
Malay
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Turkmen
Ukrainian
Uzbek
Vietnamese

on a free download... For those more adventurous, you can upgrade (cost $50) to the full version and is available via exe download so you get it immediately..

[alan45]

Its really one of those things you wish you had paid more attention to at school. I wish I had. I can understand French if spoken slowly but could not carry out a full blown conversation. Stll I can order a pint of Beer and a glass of red wine in about 12 different languages so at least I wont die of thirst (unless I go to a dry Islamic country)

*** Runs off to look at how to order a galss of water in Arabic ******

[Chloe O'brien]

good to know you have you're priorities right Alan. As long as you can ask for food drink and where the loo is you'll get by.

[Meh]

I need to learn German so I can communicate with my nephews and nieces. I'm normally good at languages but its a case of having the motivation.

[Siobhan]

I need to learn German so I can communicate with my nephews and nieces. I'm normally good at languages but its a case of having the motivation.

Then this is perfect for you TM... I am doing the german course and I am surprised that it is all stay in my head.. I have to learn it cause I want to be able to talk to my son

[alan45]

I have downloaded the Spanish one Its great. Cheers again Siobhan

[Siobhan]

I have downloaded the Spanish one Its great. Cheers again Siobhan

np alan.. just wonder which country speaks Tagalog

[Meh]

I have downloaded the Spanish one Its great. Cheers again Siobhan

np alan.. just wonder which country speaks Tagalog

I think that indonesia? One of the Malay languages? Could be wrong.

[alan45]

I have downloaded the Spanish one Its great. Cheers again Siobhan

np alan.. just wonder which country speaks Tagalog

I think that indonesia? One of the Malay languages? Could be wrong.

I googled it because I thought it was some kiddie talk but actually

TAGALOG is one of the major languages spoken in the Philippines, mostly by people from the Tagalog regions in the main island of Luzon. It is the lingua franca in Metro Manila, the national capital region of the country. It also serves as a base for Filipino, one of the two official languages of the Philippines (along with English). Read this interesting essay on the metamorphosis of Filipino as national language.

[laurouski]

Thanks, Siobhan, I downloaded the French one, and have completed the animals section so far, and I didn't think it would be as good as it is, but it really does help you to remember!

Oh, and Tagalog. I know you've googled it, but I have a friend who has Filipino roots, so I might as well tell you what she said. She speaks Tagalog, and she said that, when she used to live in northern Philippines (I'm not sure which area), she spoke Tagalog, and that was the main language there; but now, when she visits, she goes to a more southern area, and they don't speak it very much at all there.

It is very tempting to learn some of the language just to shock her!