19 Most Common And Useful Chinese Idioms (You Can Actually Use)
Do you know what Chengyu means? Well, if you aren't a Chinese learner, you probably don't know.
6 minute read
The Crucial Language Practice
Obviously, the greatest hindrance to language acquisition is the lack of practice. It is not always possible, in fact, it rather the exception than the rule, for a language learner to have access to practice with native speakers of a given language. Teachers can be different, some of them enjoy discussions, but others are too old-fashioned and literally go by the book when teaching. This makes the student too comfortable with filling grammar tasks when the actual purpose of learning – speaking a language – is left behind. A native tutor, available at any time via the internet is now a "luxury" available to anyone with a stable internet connection and Skype.
Rare Languages Now Not So Rare
Finding an English tutor is extremely easy. But what if you believe that the rarer a language, the more useful it is for your career (a viewpoint I actually support for certain reasons) and are interested in Tartar, Croatian or Lithuanian? Finding a way to speak with a native can be next to impossible and traveling to the country not too far from that, too. And websites with native tutors of these languages allow you to access this "forbidden" privilege and enjoy everyday contact with the speaker and even their culture.
Positive Feedback
Nowadays, almost no one is impressed if you speak good English. You may have amazing pronunciation and use complex lexical structures and grammar, but the English being wide-spread has set the bar too low. This is rather unjust because no one is talking about the quality of speech. If we take that aside, for now, a native speaker of a rare language will be delighted to hear you pronounce that weird sound and even if you struggle, they will encourage you to continue trying. You will forget about being perfect and just enjoy the exciting linguistic ride.