Blog - Second-Half Travels

5 Easy Italian Readers for Beginners and Intermediates

Easy Italian readers for beginners and intermediates boost your confidence and build your vocabulary.

Alliance Française Paris Review: Study French in Paris (2022)

In August-September 2022 I spent four weeks at Alliance française Paris learning French. Overall, Alliance française is a solid choice for studying French in Paris. Read on for more tips on finding French courses in Paris.

Learn French in Montpellier, France: LSF Montpellier Review (2022)

In February and March 2022 I spent three enjoyable weeks studying French at LSF Montpellier. Montpellier is a charming small city in the south of France. Read on for tips to learn French in Montpellier, France.

14 Best YouTube Channels to Learn Russian

YouTube’s an indispensable free Russian learning resource. Channels for learners offer slower, simplified Russian that’s easier to understand than native movies or TV shows. And short YouTube videos are better for a learner’s limited concentration span.

Fun videos make a great reward for tedious Russian grammar study. Here are some of the best YouTube channels to learn Russian.

How to Learn Russian by Yourself

I began tackling Russian seriously in 2020 as an independent learner. Here are my top tips on how to learn Russian by yourself.

Best French Series on Netflix and Amazon Prime (2022)

Watching popular French shows on Netflix and Amazon is an excellent way to gain cultural fluency while honing vocabulary and listening skills.

How to Relearn French

Want to refresh your forgotten French from high school or university? Here are my tips on how to relearn French.

Best German Movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime (2023)

Watching movies in German online is an excellent way to gain cultural fluency while honing vocabulary and listening skills.

5 Ways to Find Motivation in Language Learning

If you’ve ever tried to learn a language (whether or not you’ve succeeded), you know far too well that finding motivation in language learning can be much harder than the actual learning.

SISAI Spanish School in Xela, Guatemala – Review (2019)

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, or Xela (SHAY-la) for short, has a reputation among serious Spanish learners as an ideal location for language study. Despite being Guatemala’s second-largest city, Xela is off the tourist trail and few locals speak English, offering a great opportunity for total Spanish immersion.