Why should you have lessons with non-native speakers As you must have noticed, there is a vast number of online language teachers out there. Some are good, some are bad, as with everything else, and it can be really hard to find the right one(es) for you. In this notebook entry, I'd like to share some reasons for choosing a non-native speaker for a teacher. I NEVER wish to imply that native speakers are bad teachers! It is crucial to speak to them in order to learn. I simply wish to point out certain positive aspects of learning from a non-native speaker. 1. They were once in your shoes. They now exactly how hard it is to learn a new language and they are the living proof that it is possible to learn. In fact, it is even possible to teach others and it really isn't that hard. 2. They are full of tips that they have used when learning. They can share their thought process and tell you exactly how to think when learning. 3. One concern you might have is their accent. And while nothing can replace speaking to a person living in the country where the language is spoken, you can rest assured that most non-native teachers have at least a neutral accent, while many sound like they are natives. And, they can tell you how they managed to do that! So, speaking to a non-native teacher is much like having a language partner, only better! :)

Meaning(s) of the word "bre" in Serbian language If you ever heard a person from Serbia talking, you have probably noticed that we use the word "bre" a lot. Ever wondered what it means? Well, there are many theories and we can't be sure that any one of those is true, but one thing is for certain: they are fun :) First of all, this words is used always and can basically be used in any context. Mostly, it is used to emphasize something, so you will often hear people saying things like "Ćao, bre", "Gde si, bre?!", "Uh, bre", "Ajde, bre", "Što si lepa, bre", "Mnogo si, bre, dosadan" itd. In other words, you can use it whenever you like. It is often heard in an informal talk, so it is good to avoid it when talking to elderly people, your boss, the police or anyone else who has a higher "rank" than you. So, how did it come to exist and does it have a meaning? One theory is that is came from a Turkish word that means a fool or a donkey (or ass), but no one can say which Turkish word was the forefather of "bre". Since today's Serbia was one part of the Ottoman empire, a lot of our words come from Turkish language and it is always easy to say that any "strange" word comes from Turkish, which is probably how this idea came to be :) Another theory is that it is a short version of the word "brother" (brat or brate) that is also often used by urban youth - "Brate, dobra su ti kola", "Brate, mnogo sam gladan" itd. Apparently, it is similar to the way the English word "brother" became "bro". Finally, some people say that it is actually a shorter version of the Spanish word "hombre" (man) and that it was brought to Serbia by the Sephardi Jews who ran away from Spain to the Ottoman empire (and thus Serbia) in the 16th century. Thus, "hombre" became "bre" :) All of these theories are quite interesting, but I remain skeptical about believing in any of them. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?

My teaching philosophy As this is my first entry, I thought I'd share some ideas about learning a new language and promote myself a bit. :) Namely, I've had a lot of experience with this, as I've started learning French in kindergarten - and have forgotten much since high school, which was the last time I used it -, I've also been to a number of summer schools for Slovenian, since my mother is Slovenian, and I've basically been brushing up on my English since fifth grade. The best way to learn any language, in my opinion, is through talking and listening, which is why watching TV has, in my case, been crucial for learning English (and they say you can't learn from watching TV) ;) This is why I always recommend watching TV shows, movies and listening to music to my students - it helps you learn a language that is spoken, you learn idioms, expressions and even of course swear words :) It also helps you "stay connected" to the language and prevents you from forgetting what you already know. Having subtitles is useful of course, but only if you use them to check your understanding and you pay attention to what people on the screen are actually saying. One technique I've used to help my students improve their language skills was to watch an episode of any given show together and pause it whenever there was something they didn't understand. It is a very fun and easy way to learn. Similarly, I also suggest reading a newspaper article together and then discussing it, going through unfamiliar words and expressions and exchanging ideas about the topic. This way, we cover reading, pronunciation and understanding all in one. Not to mention that we stay in tune with current events. We can discuss books, works of art or anything else that the student finds interesting, and I'd be more that happy to recommend some topics. In any case, I find that I've learned most when I wasn't aware I was learning, which is why I'd love to help people master a new language the same way. :) Cheers!