You’re likely to encounter a lot of languages in Indonesia. Most of them are not well-documented. Others are just not common outside of small communities. Several months ago, I wrote a guide to the languages you might encounter in Belize. That post seems to be pretty popular, and I had fun making it. So I…
Category: Language Guides
Deciphering the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
We make a lot more sounds in speech than you probably realize. In fact, linguists have made a chart of them all, called the International Phonetic Alphabet or the IPA (not to be confused with Indian Pale Ale!). Still, as a non-linguist, this chart is not very easy to understand. So, let’s get into what…
Indonesian Grammar: A Traveler’s Guide
So, you’re looking to go to Indonesia? Well, if you’re headed there, you’ll need to know some of the language. Bahasa Indonesian is actually a dialect of Malay, the language spoken in various nearby countries, but it’s important to know it nonetheless. There are a lot of subdialects of Indonesian too, which I’ll get into…
Spanish Grammar: A Traveler’s Guide
Traveling somewhere with Spanish speakers? Well, depending on where you are, it can be difficult to navigate if you don’t speak Spanish. This can cause unnecessary stress when you’re just trying to have fun and explore. Also, knowing basic phrases won’t get you super far if you don’t understand the response or your only option…