- The most useful dictionaries and language support books
- The best online language resources to help you with the lingo
- Easy tricks to improve your skills that won’t cost a penny
- 'How to' tips, e.g. how to speak like a local, how to find the best language courses and how to get yourself on the cultural map
- Our top of the blogs picks...
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Exclusive digital dictionary discount - 30% off for TYA members!
Thursday, 01 December 2011As a year abroad student, you need language reference tools that are reliable enough to get you through living, studying and working abroad, and portable enough for travel (without affecting your weight restrictions at the airport!). To make sure you have (and can afford!) what you need, we have wangled an exclusive promotional code with Collins and their software partner Ultralingua just for TYA members! Get any of the following Collins Mac or Windows dictionary products for 30% off until the end of this year with the promo code TYA2011...
Published in Language Learning Resources -
In all honesty there are very few resources online to help you learn Greek because it is not a commonly learned language. Having said that, here are a few tips on how to improve your language, and they won't break the bank!Published in Language Skills -
As you’re reaching the final stages of summer and wondering what exactly you’ve been up to, it might be a good idea to brush up your language skills, pre-year abroad or as you’re going back to uni. Where to start? Work or study? Films or music? Here are a few pointers as to get your linguistic juices flowing...
Published in Language Skills -
The Essential Portuguese DictionaryCollins Portuguese Dictionary
This comprehensive dictionary is your essential Portuguese language tool for every situation. It contains up-to-date coverage of today’s Portuguese and English and includes all of the changes from the 2009 Portuguese Spelling Reform, as well as super-useful cultural notes. É perfeito!Published in Language Learning ResourcesTags -
The Ultimate German DictionaryThe BIG German – Collins German Dictionary
This comprehensive dictionary has every word you’ll ever need, as well as examples of usage and idioms to help you master the lingo.Published in Language Learning Resources -
The Ultimate French DictionaryThe BIG French - Collins Robert French Dictionary
This comprehensive dictionary has every word you’ll ever need, as well as examples of usage and idioms to help you master the lingo.Published in Language Learning Resources -
Thank you so much for coming to see us at The Language Show! Here is a comprehensive list of the websites, free software and multimedia that we discussed, plus a few more, and please see below for a copy of our Powerpoint presentation.Published in Language Learning Resources -
Just like in England, the country you visit on your year abroad will host a variety of different accents, dialects, customs and lifestyles. The French, however much they love to be French, also have an intense regional pride which is expressed not only in accent and dialect but in local food, décor, lifestyle and etiquette. One of the best bits of your year abroad will be discovering the uniqueness of the town, city or region you reside in, as well as the country of course.
Published in Language Skills -
More than 130 million people speak French as their native language, and most of those are based in France. When travelling (and living) in France, you should also bear in mind that it is rich in minority languages and dialects as well. During the French Revolution, the French language was favoured over the different regional languages. The revolutionaries thought that the monarchists preferred regional languages because they “kept the masses uninformed”. Regional languages started to be referred to as patois, a derogative term in its beginnings. Sometimes patois refers to non-Parisian French as well as regional languages. An example of standard, Parisian French is spoken by TV news anchors.Published in Language Skills -
No matter how many language classes you've had or grammar books you've drilled through, nothing will compare to how much you'll progress in your language learning by actually hearing it spoken by a native and having a conversation with them. Spanish, French and German-speakers are just a few who'll have their work cut out for them in terms of getting to grips with regional dialects and foreign languages outside of their comfort zone. Catalan, Breton and Frisian might just be some of the foreign tongues you've come across or are just about to, as you're packing away. Why not refresh your memory or get a head-start here for some (there are literally hundreds) of the dialects and languages you're most likely to encounter on a year abroad in Europe...
Published in Language SkillsTags -
Alice spent one month in the summer of 2008 doing an intensive Arabic language course at the Institut Bourguiba in Tunis, Tunisia. Find out what she got up to, how it went, her recommended places to go, emergency contact details, what to take with you and what to definitely leave behind...
Published in Language Skills -
If you're planning your year abroad and want to brush up on your German skills at no extra cost, how about practising online with a native speaker? There are many websites dedicated to connecting people from different countries, as well as offering exercises and word games to help you improve your German, and much, much more! Read on to find out what's out there...
Published in Language SkillsTags -
If you're planning your year abroad and want to brush up on your Italian skills at no extra cost, how about practising online with a native speaker? There are many websites dedicated to connecting people from different countries, as well as offering exercises to improve your skills, language games and other ways to while away the hours while subconsciously thinking in Italian...
Published in Language SkillsTags
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Read all about it: Foreign magazine subscriptions
Written by Natacha Cullinan Monday, 05 September 2011If you’re looking to improve your language skills by subscribing to a foreign magazine or newspaper, then you’ve come to the right place. Students have written in with their personal recommendations, we’ve trawled the internet and this is our definitive list to get your personal interest (be it current affairs, fashion, music or sports) delivered to your student door, in the shape of media from other shores. Read on to find out more:
Published in Language Skills -
True to its pioneering spirit Collins is launching 40 eBooks this summer for a range of eBook readers including Kindle and iPad. Collins is also famous for innovating the first illustrated dictionaries (1840s), the Gem dictionary (1902), and the world’s first language database, the Collins Corpus (1987).Published in Language Learning Resources -
Massive dictionaries, portable reference guides, mini phrase books... online learning?!
There are so many helpful resources out there, but it's hard to know which size/style/brand to go for - or even which is most appropriate for your stage of study. This section is filled with language learning tools and links to the best products on the market to help you fast-track your fluency.
And not only that: Collins, in partnership with ThirdYearAbroad.com, is dedicated to offering TYA students over 30% off language essentials!Published in Language Learning ResourcesTags -
The Ultimate Italian DictionaryThe BIG Italian - Collins Italian Dictionary
This comprehensive dictionary has every word you’ll ever need, as well as examples of usage and idioms to help you master the lingo.Published in Language Learning Resources -
The Ultimate Spanish DictionaryThe BIG Spanish - Collins Spanish Dictionary 40th Anniversary Edition
This comprehensive dictionary has every word you’ll ever need, as well as examples of usage and idioms to help you master the lingo.Published in Language Learning Resources -
Here’s our section about how you can improve your languages, with helpful articles on:
- The most useful dictionaries and language support books
- The best online language resources to help you with the lingo
- Easy tricks to improve your skills that won’t cost a penny
- How to tips e.g. how to how to speak like a local, find the best language best language courses and get yourself on the cultural map
- Our top of the blogs picks...
Published in Language Skills -
VeinteMundos - Spanish language magazine
Tuesday, 29 June 2010VeinteMundos is a free online Spanish language magazine that is designed for you to maintain and improve your language skills while learning about the life and culture of the 20 countries that make up the Spanish speaking world! All articles have highlighted vocabulary help and are accompanied by an integrated audio version, allowing you to read along as you listen to the correct pronunciation. And the best part is: this resource is completely free!Published in Language SkillsTags -
Surely you’ll be absolutely fine speaking Italian in Italy? Well, presumably, but Standard Italian is quite a modern thing – just think back to when Italy was unified: 1861! Until then, what we now call Italy was just lots of different states, and each one had their own language or dialect. For several reasons (its literary prestige, amongst others), the Tuscan/Florentine dialect was taken as the language of modern Italy, but its standardisation was slow. Italian wasn’t widespread and spoken by everyone in Italy until the 20th century, but nowadays it is spoken by around 60 million people. Because Italian was adopted so late, some dialects survived despite being spoken only in small and remote regions. Here’s a list of the most common regional languages and dialects you’ll find in Italy nowadays (as you can see, Italy’s neighbours have a lot of influence!)Published in Language Skills -
German is the most widely spoken language in the European Union – with around 120 million native speakers! – so it's no wonder so many students choose to study it at university. But if you’re thinking of spending your year abroad in Germany, how far will your Standard German take you?Published in Language Skills -
If you were thinking of getting some extra tutoring during the exam period, you wouldn't be the only one out there. Each year, thousands of students have extra training to help them with all aspects of their degree because it irons out the difficulties in time for those all-important finals. I met Will from Holland Park Tuition to find out how they could help year abroad students and was really impressed by the company. Here's a quick recap of what they're offering...
Published in Language SkillsTags -
Richard Simcott can speak English, French, Spanish, Welsh, German, Macedonian, Swedish, Italian, Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian, Portuguese, Czech, Catalan, Russian, Dutch, Romanian and Albanian! Your third year abroad is just the beginning...Published in Language Skills
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If you're planning your year abroad and want to brush up on your French skills at no extra cost, how about practising online with a native speaker? There are many websites dedicated to connecting people from different countries, as well as offering exercises to improve your skills, language games and other ways to while away the hours while subconsciously thinking in French...Published in Language SkillsTags
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Exclusive digital dictionary discount - 30% off for TYA members!
Read more...
As a year abroad student, you need language reference tools that are reliable enough to get you through living, studying… -
Read all about it: Foreign magazine subscriptions
Read more...
If you’re looking to improve your language skills by subscribing to a foreign magazine or newspaper, then you’ve come to… -
How to practise your Greek language skills
Read more...
In all honesty there are very few resources online to help you learn Greek because it is not a commonly… -
Collins launches pioneering eBook range
Read more...
True to its pioneering spirit Collins is launching 40 eBooks this summer for a range of eBook readers including Kindle… -
Last minute summer language boost tips
Read more...
As you’re reaching the final stages of summer and wondering what exactly you’ve been up to, it might be a… -
Language Learning Resources
Read more...
Massive dictionaries, portable reference guides, mini phrase books... online learning?! There are so many helpful resources out there, but it's… -
Portuguese language learning resources
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The Essential Portuguese Dictionary Collins Portuguese Dictionary This comprehensive dictionary is your essential Portuguese language tool for every situation. It contains… -
Italian language learning resources
Read more...
The Ultimate Italian Dictionary The BIG Italian - Collins Italian Dictionary This comprehensive dictionary has every word you’ll ever need,…
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