What Makes a Polyglot? And What do Polyglots Think About Language Learning? (Part 1)
by Antonio Graceffo. Many people wish to learn a foreign language. Unfortunately, like weight loss, playing the guitar, and earning a black belt in martial arts, mastering a foreign language is one of those dreams that people spend a lot of money on, but somehow never achieve. While the average person struggles to master a single foreign language, polyglots are those insane people who seek to...
Read MoreNative Tongue and Learning Vietnamese Language
When I started my Vietnamese intensive course, a lot of non-linguistists I talked to said that the Chinese students would have an advantage because they already speak a tonal language. It is true that some Westerners could be completely stumped by tones, and just not get the language at all. But, a person who already speaks a tonal language does not have an advantage over a Westerner or a Korean...
Read MoreTeaching English Pronunciation to Vietnamese Students
by Antonio Graceffo An ESL teacher in Saigon wrote me: “As you may have worked out already, the pronunciation of Vietnamese ESL learners is not great. I am looking at ways to try and improve the pronunciation of the learners at my school.” ”As a linguist, do you have any insights into spoken English and the difficulties that syllable-timed L1s (Vietnamese people) might have learning a...
Read MoreIs the Problem Your English Level or Your Education Level?
by Antonio Graceffo A Khmer student wrote to me on youtube and asked me to produce videos about how to read English language newspapers. “I’d like to ask you to make videos how to read newspaper and translate it from English to Khmer. I Khmer and I having a problem to understand English phrases.” Wrote the student. Language learners often write telling me about some area of learning or...
Read MoreBrooklyn Monk in Asia: Exploring Religion
Brooklyn Monk, Antonio Graceffo has been in Asia studying martial arts, languages and religion for nearly nine years. This video was made in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where Antonio was attending classes about Islam. He grabbed two Chinese cameramen, one protestant and one Buddhist, and headed out to explore many of the religions of Southeast Asia, focusing on Thai Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism,...
Read MoreInterpreting and Communicating: Necessary skills in Foreign Language Learning
An Interview Antonio Graceffo by Inga Yadell 1. Tips on interpreting a message in another language Most people think that being a good translator or interpreter is based on having a good command of the foreign language. While it is true that you need to have the linguistic skills, you must also have the cultural understanding to interpret what someone is saying. When I was translating for Warner...
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Following his landmark decision to quit his job on Wall Street and become a martial arts student, Warrior Odyssey captures Antonio's ongoing adventure across the Far East.
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