The Cunning Linguist

How do you learn a language? The same way you learned to walk... one step at a time. There are no magic shoes (no matter what the shoe shop assistant may tell you). There is no substitute for being brave enough to take a step, achieving a little, soon wobbling and then falling over.

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"Foreign Secretary David Miliband
in Manchester" by Foreign &
Commonwealth Office

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband launched a new framework today for the development of our national relationship with China. The report highlights issues such as sustainable development, the environment and China's increasing influence on the global stage. You can read or download the report on the FCO website, or see pictures from the Manchester event on Flickr.

Global management consultancy, technology and outsourcing firm Accenture also released a paper on China today. The market research report follows a Chinese government initiative to achieve accreditation for and develop China's outsourcing and services industry, and has been produced with assistance from the China Council of International Investment Promotion (CCIIP). You can read and download the report from the Accenture website.

Apologies for the recent radio silence; I'm on a really intensive training course at the moment which basically consumes your whole life, 24x7, for a month. Am hoping normal service will be resumed in early February!

"Christmas Kitty" by Tavallai

The supermarket shelves have been stacked with mince pies for months, the carol muzak is beginning to wear out, and the decorations have been in the mall so long nobody notices them any more. It must be time for Christmas!! Somehow, despite the advanced warning and good intentions, those cards you bought weeks ago are still waiting to be written.

It'd be great to put something clever in them, for your friends from language class or the native speakers you've met through the year. Fear not, my posting-deadline challenged friends! Here is a round-up of key festive phrases in Japanese and Mandarin.

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Koichi

Recently Koichi over at Tofugu listed his top ten online tools for studying Japanese. His list includes some great old favourites, and some fab new sites I had never encountered. There are detailed explanations for why each site is on Koichi's top ten over at his site, as well as a twenty minute (two part) Youtube video presenting screenshots of the features.

A few days ago I also ran across Nihongo Pera Pera, which is a small and perfectly formed website full of guidance for those seeking fluency in Japanese. I really like the site structure, and that so much of what it contains is backed up by direct and personal experience of achieving JLPT2 proficiency.

What are your favourite sites or online tools that aid your Japanese study?