Amsterdam

I finally returned from Sweden, although not without incident. My flight from Stockholm to Amsterdam was delayed because of fog in Amsterdam airport. As I result I was able to enjoy a day and a half in Amsterdam which was interesting in many ways. Of course, I was able to connect my brief stay with the subject of language learning.

Here I talk about it.

Comments

[Edwin]

Steve, thanks for the interesting story.

I didn't quite catch from the audio clip how you resolved the problem with the Russian word for '40'. Did you somehow manage to recall the word, or just say it in English?

I asked this because I have been using a workaround all the time. When I am practicing conversing my learning language with someone, and if a word slips my mind, I would just say it in English instead. Of course, it only works if the other person knows some English and the word is not too complicated.

I find this helpful in keeping the flow of the conversation going. This in turn can build up my confidence. I try not to overuse it though.

What do you think about this workaround? Do you encourage or discourage it?

Thanks.