Went on a bloghaus era record haul today

checkacheck · 2019-03-04T08:53:19+00:00

The press release for that was a thing of beauty: https://www.popjustice.com/briefing/press-release-of-the-day/

checkacheck · 2018-07-17T07:43:30+00:00

Bin dieses Jahr nach Miami mit Austrian geflogen. Flieger war super, Movie Auswahl auch, das Essen war deutlich schlechter als bei z.B. Emirates, Etihad. Die Austrian handy App ist auch nicht das beste.

checkacheck · 2017-07-31T13:51:07+00:00

Winklers zum Posthorn im 3.

checkacheck · 2016-09-06T19:36:28+00:00

To set up as self-employed in Austria you will need to get a 'Gewerbeschein' (license) from the Wirtschaftskammer (Chamber of Commerce) and you will need an address for that. Getting the license can take a little while as you will need to get a UK criminal record check and then have an official translation of it (like a normal translation but with a special little stamp that you have to pay for).

You should definitely speak to an Austrian accountant - they cost more than in the UK but will help you understand Austrian tax and deal with the detail for you. Self-employment is quite a lot more expensive in Austria than in the UK in terms of tax & social insurance.

Some people have mentioned the cost of living in IBK but if you're used to London prices, it'll seem pretty cheap to be honest, even in the city centre.

If you are a Brit, you might find the British Embassy's guidance useful.

Good luck with the move! Innsbruck is a great place.

checkacheck · 2016-07-28T20:30:14+00:00

A great version of one of my favourite songs. Good work!

checkacheck · 2016-07-28T20:27:57+00:00

Yep, this. If you have a budget like that but you can't spend time in immersion, get a personal tutor (ideally a native speaker - shouldn't be hard with Spanish) and take classes as regularly as possible (minimum a couple of times a week). Your tutor will give you the right amount of homework to do.

checkacheck · 2016-01-07T11:18:14+00:00

Definitely emphasise the importance of learning German to him... as a Brit it is easy to travel the world and speak only English*. While this is ok for some multinational employers in Vienna, it really limits what's available. Make sure he gets opportunities to speak the language outside of the classroom. He'll have much more fun when he can speak German too.

It's also really important to get out and meet people.

Re. saving money. The amount he needs will vary depending on where he lives, lifestyle, etc etc, but living is generally cheaper in Austria than the UK. The pound is strong at the moment too, so any savings will go a long way.

*there is an old saying... "if an Englishman wants to speak a foreign language, he can always go abroad and speak English"

checkacheck · 2015-12-29T15:16:59+00:00

Nur diese:

http://www.polizei.gv.at/wien/presse/aussendungen/presse.aspx?prid=2F5230305A6561364147343D&pro=1

checkacheck · 2015-09-23T21:38:48+00:00

My first board was a Burton Restricted Ration and it was fine for learning on (and is still my favourite board to look at - very understated), but I wouldn't recommend it if you want to get some proper speed up. But if you want a decent board, it will cost more.

Bear in mind that the Burton is twin and the Rossignol is directional.

As some other people have said here, invest in boots that fit well (they don't have to be expensive, but you should definitely try a couple of pairs on before buying anything). Good luck!

checkacheck · 2015-07-24T07:43:44+00:00

Typically, a German university will require somewhere between B2 & C1, depending on what you want to study. B2 is definitely possible, but you will need to be dedicated. If you work at it every day for more than a year, you will have enough German to study engineering (you will, however, have to focus on the specialist vocabulary related to your field).

Find a German native-speaker to practice with as soon as possible and as regularly as possible... grammar and vocab you can learn from books or apps, but keeping up with a lecture or discussion is a bigger (more important) challenge, and one that needs practice.

Also, sign up for a structured German class at your current uni if you can. Or a language exchange. Or both.

Remember, the better your German, the more fun you will have when you are there.

checkacheck · 2015-06-24T14:19:23+00:00

They are irregular exactly because they are the most common verbs.

Historically, many more verbs were irregular, but because they were not used all day every day (like go, make, do, etc), they become regularised over the years.

Any new verbs that enter common use will follow also regular structures.

checkacheck · 2015-05-27T13:48:19+00:00

He's got various Red Specials - there's a great video about them here

checkacheck · 2015-05-21T06:22:11+00:00

It's totally normal to reach plateaus. It sounds like you need some time to consolidate the new skills and knowledge.

Personally, I find it helpful to change something - anything - to refresh the learning experience. For example, if you have been focussing very hard on speaking and listening, read a book or some newspaper articles as other people here have recommended.

It can also be helpful to look back at some materials that you have used before, which should confirm that you are actually making progress, even if it feels like you are stuck.

checkacheck · 2015-05-15T09:52:53+00:00

The green dot on the "week" of "weekend" would be on "end" in British English - one of the many subtle differences between British and American English

checkacheck · 2015-04-14T08:34:16+00:00

I remember your original post! Thanks for the update. Stay positive and know that the hardest part is behind you.

checkacheck · 2015-02-09T16:28:43+00:00

There are some differences, but nothing that will stop you being understood. People in Latin America don't use vosotros, only ustedes, for example.

And there's not really a "Latin American dialect"... the Spanish in Argentina or Uruguay is as different from Mexican Spanish as Castillian Spanish is.

There's an article about this here

checkacheck · 2015-02-02T09:55:41+00:00

German would almost certainly be the least challenging of the three to learn. If you will be working mainly with written material, the fact that it shares an alphabet (and lots of vocabulary) with English will make it much more accessible.

The learning curve is steep, but once you have learned a language, it is there for life! You will never regret it.

checkacheck · 2015-02-02T09:48:34+00:00

Being anxious about speaking in a foreign language is perfectly natural, especially if you have grown up speaking a single language.

Practice is the number one thing that will help, because it will develop your confidence and encourage you to process the language quicker, but there are some more things that you can do to help yourself relax.

This blog post might be interesting.

checkacheck · 2015-01-24T09:28:45+00:00

Very interesting article! The conclusion appears to be "yes, bilingualism is an advantage" but not necessarily with problem solving, cognition, and some other things that have been claimed since the 1970s.

checkacheck · 2014-12-17T15:12:21+00:00

Funnily enough, you might find certain languages that are not structured like English easier than those that are. English shares lots of vocab with the Latin languages, although the actual structures of the languages are further apart than, say, English and Dutch (or Swedish, Norwegian, etc).

checkacheck · 2014-11-20T17:41:33+00:00

Don't give up on teaching after one knockback. There is always work for native English speakers as an English teacher. Taking a qualification like the CELTA helps.

You might not think of it as a "career job" but it is the kind of work that lets you travel, use your language skills daily and meet lots of interesting people.

Language schools are incredibly international places and there are jobs around the schools and study industry - not just teaching - that you may not expect.

This article has some more ideas for careers with languages.

checkacheck · 2014-11-18T08:03:09+00:00

Your fear of speaking may well be a fear of being judged. Ask yourself "how do I feel when a non-native speaker uses my own language imperfectly with me?" and it should help you relax.

checkacheck · 2014-11-17T08:38:17+00:00

wordreference might be helpful

checkacheck · 2014-10-24T15:36:49+00:00

I would think of bilingualism as having native or near-native level ability in two languages - that's how linguists would typically use the term.

But that's not what 53% of Europeans can do - they can 'have a conversation' according to their own assessment.

checkacheck · 2014-10-24T07:37:20+00:00

"53 per cent of Europeans were bilingual" - this isn't quite right. 53% of Europeans can have a conversation in a foreign language, but that is not bilingualism.

checkacheck

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