Blog
Spring Awakening
In which my thoughts turn to studying Chinese, Arabic, and Russian.
Last week I thought to myself, it would be cool to learn some Chinese characters right around now. Even though I spent a little time on Chinese some years back, I focused on spoken skills and pinyin and never learned…
Reviews
Assimil
French, Books, Multimedia
Some people whose opinion I respect really like Assimil, a French company offering multimedia programs with different language bases. For example, there are English-based programs designed for English speakers learning other languages, and French-based programs designed for French speakers learning…
Memrise for Arabic
Arabic, Apps, Audio Lessons, Flashcards, Multimedia, Vocabulary, Websites, Kids
I am now a hard-core Memrise addict. It is all over for me, but stop reading here and you could be saved from a similar fate. Still reading? Beware, compulsive types! If you try this website—which is free, making…
Portuguese Circle
Portuguese, Museums/Cultural, Organizations, Social
The Portuguese Circle, according to its website, “is a group of Portuguese living in New York City, whose objective is to promote Portugal and its culture.” Since 2007 they have been organizing cultural, social, and gastronomic events. The group’s biggest…
Tenri Cultural Institute
Japanese, Museums/Cultural, Classes/Conversation, Kids
Tenri’s mission is to “promote the study of Japanese language and the appreciation of international art forms.” Located in Greenwich Village, it offers classes, exhibits, and performing-arts events.
Schaller & Weber
German, Food and Drink
You can find hard-core German food products at this longstanding family-owned Yorkville store, resident on 86th and Second Avenue since 1937. Schaller & Weber’s website says they are “masters of charcuterie.” I had to go look up “charcuterie.”…