skills

Language Learning › Learn Latin › Latin Skills ›

Latin Verse Scansion

What Is Quantitative Meter? English poetry runs on stress : we tap our feet to the syllables that receive emphasis — SHALL I comPARE thee TO a SUMmer's DAY? The positions of stressed and unstressed syllables create the rhythm. Latin poetry works completely differently. It runs on quantity — the length of time it takes to pronounce each syllable. A long syllable (–) takes roughly twice as long to say...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Speaking Esperanto

The Unique Speaking Opportunity Esperanto is one of the very few languages where a beginner can speak with a large, genuinely welcoming international community within weeks of starting. Unlike learning French (where beginners often meet impatience from native speakers) or Mandarin (where the tonal system makes early speaking painful), Esperanto speakers are uniformly encouraging of learners at all levels. More importantly: Esperanto has in-person events where the language is used...

Language Learning › Learn Latin › Latin Skills ›

Latin Translation

Translation from Latin to English is the traditional core skill of Latin study. It is a valuable tool for checking comprehension and developing grammatical precision, but it is a separate skill from reading — and confusing the two is one of the most common obstacles in Latin learning. Translation vs. Reading Skill Process Typical Rate Primary Goal Translation Decode each word; parse each form; produce idiomatic English 5–20 words/min Grammar...

Language Learning › Learn Latin › Latin Skills ›

Speaking Latin (Active Latin)

Speaking Latin is optional but powerful. The Active Latin movement has demonstrated that using Latin as a spoken language accelerates reading fluency by building intuitive grammar feel that drilling alone doesn't provide. Why Speaking Helps Reading Automaticity : Speaking forces you to produce the correct form instantly — no time to consciously parse Input volume : Conversations produce 60 words/minute of Latin vs. 5–10 via translation Grammar internalization : You...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Writing in Esperanto

Why Writing Is Essential for Consolidating Grammar Speaking allows you to communicate with imperfect grammar and rely on real-time feedback. Reading lets you skip over confusing passages. But writing forces you to make explicit choices: Which case ending does this noun take here? Is this verb transitive? Does the adjective agree? Is this the right preposition? Writing is uniquely powerful for grammar consolidation because it creates a permanent record of...

Language Learning › Learn Latin ›

Latin Skills

The 6 Core Latin Skills Skill Description When to develop Reading Direct comprehension of Latin text From week 1 Translation Latin → English rendition From week 1 (supplement to reading) Grammar Analysis Parsing morphological forms From week 1 Composition English → Latin writing Advanced (year 2+) Speaking Active Latin conversation Optional; any level Listening Latin audio comprehension From week 1 (passive) Scansion Marking quantitative meter When reading poetry Why Separate...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Building Esperanto Vocabulary

The Fundamental Insight: Roots × Affixes = Thousands of Words Esperanto has approximately 500–600 core roots that a learner needs to reach functional fluency (B1–B2). Compare that to the 3,000–5,000 words typically needed for the same level in French or German. Why the difference? Because Esperanto's affix system is fully productive and completely regular . You do not just learn a word — you learn a root that can be...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Reading in Esperanto

Why Esperanto Reading Is Uniquely Rewarding Esperanto's regular morphology makes reading a qualitatively different experience from reading most natural languages. When you encounter an unfamiliar word, you can often decode its meaning: the root is transparent, the suffix tells you the grammatical category, and the prefix (if any) modifies the meaning systematically. Sennombra = sen- (without) + nombr- (number) + -a (adjective) = "countless / innumerable." You have never seen...

Language Learning › Learn Chinese (Mandarin) › Skills ›

Listening

Listening is widely considered the hardest skill for Mandarin learners. Unlike European languages where you can often piece together meaning from familiar word roots, Mandarin listening requires your brain to simultaneously decode unfamiliar sounds, tonal distinctions, and compressed connected speech — all at native speed. Why Listening Is Hard for Mandarin Learners Tones at native speed. In slow, isolated speech, a learner can distinguish 妈 (mā) from 马 (mǎ). At...

Language Learning › Learn Latin › Latin Skills ›

Latin Composition

Latin composition — writing sentences or passages in Latin — is the hardest Latin skill and the one most likely to produce deep grammatical internalization. It forces you to make active choices about constructions rather than recognizing them passively. When to Start Composition Don't start too early : Composition requires a strong grammar foundation. Attempting it at Novice level produces discouragement without enough grammar knowledge to self-correct. Recommended : Begin...

Language Learning › Learn Chinese (Mandarin) › Skills ›

Speaking

Speaking Mandarin well requires integrating four distinct systems simultaneously: tones, initials, finals, and rhythm. Unlike European languages where pronunciation errors are easily forgiven, Mandarin tonal errors can make speech unintelligible — the same syllable with the wrong tone is simply a different word. The Four Pillars of Chinese Pronunciation 1. Tones Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral (unstressed) tone: Tone Mark Shape Example 1st tone ā High, flat 妈...

Language Learning › Learn Chinese (Mandarin) ›

Mandarin Chinese has six core skill areas. Unlike European languages, three of them — Tones, Pinyin, and Hanzi — are foundational prerequisites that English speakers must explicitly study. The rest (Grammar, Listening, Speaking) develop more naturally through input and practice but have their own challenges. The Six Skills at a Glance Skill Description Difficulty Page Tones Mandarin uses 4 tones + a neutral tone. Same syllable, different pitch = different...

Language Learning › Learn Japanese ›

Skills

Japanese requires nine distinct skill areas. The first two — hiragana and katakana — are absolute prerequisites that must be mastered before anything else. The remaining skills develop in parallel over years of consistent study. The Nine Skills at a Glance Skill Description Difficulty Time to Basic Hiragana The primary phonetic syllabary; 46 base + ~58 variants Medium 1–2 weeks Katakana Second phonetic syllabary; same sounds as hiragana Medium 1–2...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto ›

Skills

Overview Esperanto requires the same five core skills as any language, but the relative difficulty and time investment differs significantly from natural languages: Skill Difficulty Key Fact Pronunciation Very Easy 28 letters, each with exactly one sound Reading Easy Phonemic spelling — read everything exactly as spelled Listening Moderate Speed of native speech; exposure required Writing Easy Fully regular grammar; no spelling irregularities Speaking Moderate Vocabulary acquisition + fluency practice...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Listening in Esperanto

Why Listening Is Uniquely Important in Esperanto Most language learners encounter a single dominant accent: Spanish learners hear mostly Mexican or Castilian Spanish, French learners hear mostly Parisian French. Esperanto is different. Its speakers come from every corner of the world, and each brings the phonology of their native language into their Esperanto speech. A French speaker produces Esperanto with front-rounded vowels and nasal influence. A Chinese speaker tends toward...

Language Learning › Learn Latin › Latin Skills ›

Reading Latin

Reading is the primary skill in Latin. The goal is to move from parsing each word consciously to comprehending Latin directly — the way a skilled reader reads their native language. Two Modes of Reading Mode Process Rate Used by Parsing/Translation Identify each form → translate → parse syntax → produce English 5–10 words/minute All beginners Direct Reading Comprehend Latin meaning directly without English mediation 30–60+ words/minute Advanced learners The...

Language Learning › Learn Latin › Latin Skills ›

Listening to Latin

Listening to Latin is the easiest skill to develop passively — you can do it while commuting, exercising, or cooking. Regular Latin audio exposure accelerates grammar internalization and builds intuitive feel for Latin word patterns. Getting Started with Latin Audio Key insight : Even if you can't understand everything, Latin audio exposure helps. Hearing correct Latin intonation, rhythm, and word patterns primes your brain to process Latin more fluently when...

#skills

Latin Verse Scansion

Speaking Esperanto

Latin Translation

Speaking Latin (Active Latin)

Writing in Esperanto

Latin Skills

Building Esperanto Vocabulary

Reading in Esperanto

Listening

Latin Composition

Speaking

Skills

Skills

Skills

Listening in Esperanto

Reading Latin

Listening to Latin