Today we’re looking at Danish, the national language of Denmark, and an official language in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, at least until 2009! In today’s lesson we’ll be looking at the similarities between Danish and Norwegian, and learning how to say “happy Christmas” in Danish.
Today’s language is Spanish, the second most widely spoken language in the world* after Mandarin Chinese. Join Mark and José today and learn how to say “happy Christmas” in Spanish.
School firewall problems? Try this link: Video episode (works in Quick Time Player or iTunes)
*Spanish is, in fact, the second most widely natively spoken language in the world, so there are more native speakers of Spanish (329 million) than there are native speakers of English (328 million). If you add in the people who speak the language as a second language, then English (508 million) takes over Spanish (417 million).
If you would like to learn more Spanish, Radio Lingua offers a number of options: join Mark and Victor in One Minute Spanish, or if you’re interested in the variety of Spanish spoken in Latin America, choose One Minute Latin American Spanish featuring Carolina from Colombia. If you’d like to get into Spanish in more depth, try our Coffee Break Spanish course, or learn in mini lessons with TwitterLearn Spanish. For more advanced learners we offer weekly current affairs programmes in News Time Spanish, and advanced listening practice in Show Time Spanish. Find out more by clicking on the icons below.
Our Festive Phrases language today is one of the world’s biggest languages, spoken by over well over 140 million people: join Mark and Ann and learn how to say “Happy Christmas” in Russian.
We have a major world language in our Festive Phrases series today: French. Remember, French isn’t just spoken in France. In this episode you’ll find out how many countries in the world use French as a first language, and you’ll learn how to wish French speakers a happy Christmas.
School firewall problems? Try this link: Video episode (works in Quick Time Player or iTunes)
Would you like to learn more French? Radio Lingua offers a range of French courses including One Minute French, School Run French and our flagship French course Coffee Break French. Find out more by clicking on the appropriate icon below.
In lesson 02 of our Festive Phrases series you’ll learn how to wish people “happy Christmas” in Greek. Watch our video online or download it to your mobile device by using the links below.
In lesson 01 of our Festive Phrases series you’ll learn how to wish people “happy Christmas” in Norwegian. Watch our video online or download it to your mobile device by using the links below.
We’re delighted to announce the results of our Festive Phrases competition. Winners were drawn at random from all correct entries. See below for the correct answers!
1st prize
Mrs Livingstone’s P6 class in Balnain Primary School, Glen Urquhart wins an iPad, a Radio Lingua Language Workshop and a licence to one of our language courses.
2nd prize
Mr McPherson’s P7 class in Dalmilling Primary School, Ayr wins a Radio Lingua Language Workshop and a licence to one of our language courses.
3rd prize
Mrs Robertson’s P7 class in Kincaidston Primary School, Ayr wins one our language courses.
Congratulations to all our winners and thanks to all schools who took part in the competition and to everyone who has been listening to Festive Phrases each day.
The answers to the competition are as follows:
1. Icelandic – Jól looks like Jul in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian
2. Czech
3. Hawaiian
4. Finnish – any time you see double ää the chances are it’s Finnish!
5. Korean – only Korean uses this kind of script
We’ll be in touch very soon with the winning schools and prizes will be delivered in January 2011.
Win an iPad and language-learning courses and workshops with our Festive Phrases competition.
Throughout the month of December, Radio Lingua is releasing daily Festive Phrase lessons in which pupils can learn to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy New Year” in 24 languages. The daily videos feature native speakers and provide additional background information on where the language is spoken and the number of speakers of that language.
We are delighted to announce our competition in which one lucky class will win an iPad, and there are lots of Radio Lingua goodies to give away too. The competition is being organised in conjunction with XMA, an Apple Solutions Expert in Education.
How do you enter?
Our Festive Phrases series includes festive greetings from around the world in 24 languages. The following five phrases are not included in our episodes, and we’d like you to identify the languages. We’re sure that by combining what you’ve learned in the Festive Phrases series along with some web research you’ll be able to identify these languages easily!
To enter the competition, please complete our faxback form – download the pdf form here. Alternatively you can enter by email: send your entries to info@radiolinguaschools.com. Please include a contact name, class teacher or class name, school, address, telephone number, fax number and email address. The closing date for the competition is 12:30pm on Monday 20th December. Winners will be announced on Tuesday 21st December here on our website.
What about the prizes?
First prize: an Apple iPad (16gb wifi model), a free Radio Lingua Schools language workshop and a one year licence for a language course from the Radio Lingua catalogue.
Third prize: one year licence for a language course from the Radio Lingua catalogue.
Who can enter?
This competition is open to P4-P7 classes in primary schools in Scotland only. Entry to the competition is restricted to one entry per class or group of pupils. Multiple entries from individual schools are allowed, but must be submitted on separate entry forms. If you have any questions about the competition, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Competition rules
Competition is open to P4-P7 classes in primary schools in Scotland only and entry to the competition is restricted to one entry per class or group of pupils.
Multiple entries from individual schools must be submitted on separate entry forms.
Automated entries, bulk entries or third party entries will be disqualified.
Winners will be chosen at random from all correct and valid entries.
Winners will be contacted by email or by telephone and winners will be posted on our website.
The Judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The competition will run from Friday 10 December until 12:30pm on Monday 20th December.
Radio Lingua Ltd is compliant with the data protection act. Our policy is such that we will not pass on your details to any third party.
Radio Lingua Ltd reserves the right to cancel or alter or amend the competition at any stage.
The following information is aimed at teachers working with the Festive Phrases project or using our Coffee Break Spanish or Show Time Spanish courses in which we mentioned the Tió de Nadal. Please note that we have deliberately omitted this information from our Catalan episode of Festive Phrases to avoid awkward questions, but teachers may find this information useful to provide further background for their classes!
The Tió de Nadal (Christmas Log) or Caga Tió (Poo Log) is a Catalan Christmas tradition and is linked to similar traditions in the south of France and in the Spanish region of Aragón. The tió is normally a log of around thirty centimetres in length, but recently it has become popular to buy a decorated log in shops in the run-up to Christmas. This “commercial version” of the log has a face and a traditional Catalan barretina hat, as shown in the picture.
Beginning on 8th December on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, children give the tió something to “eat” every night and cover him with a blanket to keep him warm. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on the tradition in the particular household, the log is beaten with a stick and is told to “poo” – cagar. At this point a song is song. There are various versions of the song, but the version we have used in our episode as sung by Alba is as follows:
Caga tió, tió de Nadal.
No caguis arengades,
que són massa salades.
Caga torrons
que són més bons!
This translates as:
Poo log, Christmas log,
Don’t poo herrings
which are too salty.
Poo turrón (nougat-based Spanish sweets)
which is much better!
The phrase “i si no, et donaré un cop de bastó” (and if you don’t, I’ll hit you with the stick) is sometimes added, as Alba did in our recording. After the song is sung, the children put their hand under the blanket to discover what the log has “produced”!
This December Radio Lingua is offering you a daily festive phrase. Learn to wish people around the world a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year or Happy Holidays in 24 different languages. This initiative is primarily aimed at school children across the country and each episode of our video podcast will provide some background information about the language concerned including the number of speakers and where the language is spoken. The festive fun begins on 1st December with Norwegian. Each day visitors to the site can ‘open the door of the Advent Calendar’ and access a new video.
RT @wispywinds: @emmamwoolley I like the podcast coffee break french. You can listen to it over time and individual episodes aren't supe ... 2012/04/04
For Spanish learners there's a new Q&A Spanish out now. http://t.co/3VpOS6G4 Subjunctive and llevar + time phrases :) 2012/04/03
@harlemlibrarian Hadn't realised that this was a problem. The feeds are now on http://t.co/NKhTnGQB instead - use http://t.co/Z6XXIJhv 2012/04/03
We’re delighted to announce the results of our Festive Phrases competition. Winners were drawn at random from all correct entries. See below for the correct answers!
The Tió de Nadal (Christmas Log) or Caga Tió (Poo Log) is a Catalan Christmas tradition and is linked to similar traditions in the south of France and in the Spanish region of Aragón. The tió is normally a log of around thirty centimetres in length, but recently it has become popular to buy a decorated log in shops in the run-up to Christmas. This “commercial version” of the log has a face and a traditional Catalan barretina hat, as shown in the picture.
This December Radio Lingua is offering you a daily festive phrase. Learn to wish people around the world a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year or Happy Holidays in 24 different languages. This initiative is primarily aimed at school children across the country and each episode of our video podcast will provide some background information about the language concerned including the number of speakers and where the language is spoken. The festive fun begins on 1st December with Norwegian. Each day visitors to the site can ‘open the door of the Advent Calendar’ and access a new video.
