Tumgik
balloons-and-shadows · 3 months
Note
if you get this, answer with three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs! anon or not, doesn’t matter, let’s get to know the person behind the blog <3
First of all; thank you to both anons who send me this even though I'm barely active anymore!
My reasoning for learning a new language is always completely random. Originally I started learning Swedish in high school because I was bored. Right now, I'm studying Chinese because my friends speak it and I felt left out.
Idk if anyone has seen the tiktok about Swedish people in winter, where you continuously see people slip on the icy streets? But I'm proud to say that during the winter I was there, I managed to fall flat on my ass only once. I call that a win.
Since I've experienced -20 degrees (once), I've been a changed woman. Here in the Netherlands, it barely gets past -2 degrees. Which is quite warmer than -20 degrees. So since getting back to the Netherlands, I've honestly barely touched my winter coat.
4 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 4 months
Text
Just to show you guys just *how many* birds there are actually eating the goat
Holy shit there are so many birds
54K notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 4 months
Text
Just thought I'd let you all know that in lieu of being burned, nature itself has this year turned upon Gävlebocken and it is currently being devoured by a flock of birds
Tumblr media Tumblr media
337 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 5 months
Text
December 13 - St. Lucia’s Day
Hi guys! Could you even imagine my initial plan was to post something everyday of December? I’m literally drowning in studying. I have to hand in a paper before tomorrow night and I still have to write about 3000 words. Anyway, Happy St. Lucia’s Day!
youtube
Today is Saint Lucy’s day in Scandinavia! The fest is also known as ‘Lucia Day’ or ‘the feast of Saint Lucy’ and in Swedish simply as ‘Lucia’. This day, the Swedes celebrate the light in the dark days of winter. Lucia was an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.
The video and song are by youtuber Jonna Jinton, a swedish photographer and artist living in Grundtjärn. She makes videos about living in a remote part of Sweden, old Swedish songs and travel vlogs. Most of her videos are Swedish with English subtitles available. All credit goes to her.
Website; https://jonnajinton.se/
Youtube channel; https://www.youtube.com/user/JonnaJinton
Instagram-account; https://www.instagram.com/jonnajinton/
Natten går tunga fjät runt gård och stuva.
Kring jord som sol'n förlät, skuggorna ruva.
Drömmar med vingesus under oss sia,
tänd dina vita ljus, Sankta Lucia.
Trollsejd och mörkermakt ljust du betvingar,
signade lågors vakt skydd åt oss bringar.
Drömmar med vingesus, under oss sia,
tänd dina vita ljus, Sankta Lucia.
Stjärnor som leda oss, vägen att finna,
bli dina klara bloss, fagra prästinna.
//Drömmar med vingesus, under oss sia,
tänd dina vita ljus, Sankta Lucia.//
Night walks with a heavy step
Round yard and house,
As the sun departs from earth,
Shadows are brooding.
Dreams of wings rustling over us in prophesy,
Light your white candles, Saint Lucia.
 Spells and dark powers, with light you subject.
Guard of the blessed flames, protection for us brings.
Dreams of wings rustling over us in prophesy,
Light your white candles, Saint Lucia.
 Stars that lead us, the way to find,
become your clear flares, fair priestess.
Dreams of wings rustling over us in prophesy,
Light your white candles, Saint Lucia.
45 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 5 months
Text
Glad Lucia!🌟
Glad Lucia!
11 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
8K notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 5 months
Text
For all people learning Swedish, it has a total of 34 audiobooks!
Hello language learners!
Have you tried Librivox?
It's a website that has public domain audio books in TONS (47 to be exact) of languages! (my followers, yes, it has Finnish too!)
You can find loads of free books on there! I recommend it a lot!
For Finnish books, I noticed they even have Seitsemän Veljestä which is a must-read for every Finnish student.
Here's a link:
Tumblr media
769 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 5 months
Text
In my L1-acquisition class two weeks ago, our professor talked about how only 9% of the speech a baby hears is single words. Everything else is phrases and sentences, onslaughts of words and meaning!
Thus, a baby not only has to learn words and their meanings but also learn to segment lots of sounds INTO words. Doyouwantalittlemoresoupyesyoudoyoucutie. Damn.
When she talked about HOW babies learn to segment words our professor said, and I love it, "babies are little statisticians" because when listening to all the sounds, they start understanding what sound is likely to come after another vs which is not.
After discussing lots of experiments done with babies, our professor added something that I already knew somewhere in my brain but didn't know I know: All this knowledge is helpful when learning an L2 as well:
Listen to natives speaking their language. Original speed. Whatever speaker. Whatever topic.
It is NOT about understanding meaning. It is about learning the rhythm of the language, getting a feeling for its sound, the combination of sounds, the melody and the pronunciation.
Just how babies have to learn to identify single words within waves of sounds, so do adults learning a language. It will help immensely with later (more intentional) listening because you're already used to the sound, can already get into the groove of the languge.
Be as brave as a baby.
You don't even have to pay special attention. Just bathe in the sound of your target language. You'll soak it up without even noticing.
3K notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 5 months
Text
wait did y'all know there's a ton of free language course resources for u.s. peace corps training??
Tumblr media Tumblr media
1K notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 6 months
Text
Happy (early) Halloween!🎃
Swedish Vocab
HI guys! I know I’m a bit late, but I just wanted to say Happy Halloween to you all! Here some Halloween inspired vocab for you;
Tumblr media
Subject: Halloween
Halloween - Halloween (Allhalloween)
Alla helgons afton - All Hallow’s Eve
Bus eller godis - Trick or treat
Högtid - religious festival
Spökkostymer - ghost costumes
Maskerader - masks
Jack-o’-lantern - jack O’Lantern
Skräckfilmer - horror movies
Spökhus - horrorhouse
Godis - candy
En pumpa - a pumpkin
Pumpapaj - pumpkin pie
Orange - orange
Svart - black
Ett spöke - a ghost
Ett skelett - a skeleton
En lykta - a lantern
En fladdermus - a bat
En spindel - a spider
Zombie - zombie
Vampyr - vampire
Pirat - pirate
Mardröm - nightmare
Måne - moon
Rädda - afraid
Ben - bone
Here is a Swedish youtuber talking about Halloween in Sweden:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyZfVMM3i6g
65 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 6 months
Text
youtube
Non-Anglo Movies You Should Watch 38/∞: UFO Sweden (2022), dir. Victor Danell
Country: Sweden
Language: Swedish
Genre: Sci-Fi Adventure
Summary: In 1996, a rebellious teen suspects her father - who disappeared eight years earlier - is not dead but has been abducted. She is determined to find out the truth with help from a UFO association.
17 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 6 months
Text
10 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 7 months
Text
Here is the full table;
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The Economist, "Which languages take the longest to learn?" (Sept. 18, 2023)
222 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media
The Economist, "Which languages take the longest to learn?" (Sept. 18, 2023)
222 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 10 months
Text
Langblr introduction
Heyhey, my name is Jess! I've already been part of the langblr-community with my Swedish langblr (@balloons-and-shadows), but I decided I also want to post about my native language.
What to expect:
Peculiarities about Dutch language/culture
Similarities with other languages
Weird grammar concepts
I'm not really planning on posting vocab lists, but you can expect a whole bunch of other stuff from me. Also, my asks are always open :)
~ Jess💕
11 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 10 months
Text
There is this really sweet Venezuelan lady at work and yesterday she told me all about mariachis... And now I kinda really want to start learning Spanish to understand all those songs
8 notes · View notes
balloons-and-shadows · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media
Män som hatar kvinnor
Prolog - Fredag 1 November
årligen återkommande händelse - yearly occuring event
mottagaren - the recipient
telefonluren - the telephone receiver
ramen - the frame
dock - still, yet, however
överhuvudtaget - at all
rattonyktra - drunk driving
föga - (very) little
odla - to grow
skillnaden - the difference
nyans - nuance
utlåtande - opinion, statement
krets - the ring, circle
småningom - gradually
11 notes · View notes