making apps, making webs.

A new language learning website has come out, called Ba Ba Dum (build 128, version 1.1.1).  This is my review. tl dr; don't use it for learning languages where the gender of the words matter - like in German. I first heard about the website through some UI/UX/js/css/web people (thanks Leigh and Paul !).  Not only is this interesting to me from a web app perspective (that's what I do for my day job), but I'm also very interested in making games, as well as learning languages.  So, naturally I checked it out. It's a great start, and very well made!  Not only did they draw all the illustrations, but made the fonts!  It's also, I think, a great example of content marketing, ie making something useful for people showing off your skills.  This project shows that these people can produce a quality product (see making of , and the credits ).  Reviewing a project fairly without knowing the brief is always impossible.  So I'm reviewing i...

( NOTE: this article is a work in progress, as I try and gather references and evidence for all the claims made in the video.  Please feel free to comment if you have any relevant links ) In this video Chris Lonsdale does a talk about principles and actions that can speed up language learning.  I think it's very interesting, and useful... but I'm always sceptical .  Learning how to learn is important, and this video attempts to share some effective techniques for learning, and the principles behind them. The arguments used in the video are not referenced to academic standards since it is a very short talk - and not an essay.  However the presentation is convincing, and it does cover a number of pieces of advice I've read in other places.  I'm going to try and provide links to further reading on each of the techniques and pieces of advice listed. What doesn't work? He mentions some things that don't work. Talent. Immersion. Talent is needed. ...

Podcast - "A multimedia digital file made available on the Internet for downloading to a portable media player, computer, etc." If you have a modern phone, ipod, or mp3 player you can play podcasts on the move.  Or you can listen to them on your computer when you're not mobile.  It may seem a bit weird explaining what a podcast is... but there are many people who do not know what they are, or haven't tried them.  Skip to the bottom for lists of German podcasts . Situations where you may be able to learn with a podcast: sitting at the computer doing an office job (if you don't need to talk lots!) on a bus/train, or walking/running (be careful!) Other methods of learning may not be possible in these situations.  For example, you probably can't have a teacher follow you around the park as you go jogging.  Also, they probably can't sit next to you at your office whilst you work. It's always better if you can talk out loud along with the podcas...