Google starts to offer Bengali / Bangla dictation

Random Ink by Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay @Flickr

Google recently made some improvements to its search app that should allow Bengali dictation, raising interesting possibilities for those of us learning the language.

Whilst I can’t currently get the changes to work on my iPhone, seeing as the update is Android-only for now, if you can do so then the change could provide a useful way to work on your pronunciation.

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Bengali / Bangla vocabulary: war, attacks

I’ve broadened my approach to learning Bengali since the time when I was over- enamoured by repeated listens of podcasts I struggled to understand.

I still struggle with NHK’s daily Bangla news podcast when I dip into it, but am trying to expand my knowledge of ‘newsy’, hence the recent post on political vocab and this one.

Even before the tragic recent events in Manchester and London this kind of military/warfare vocabulary features in the news from around the world all too often.

Bengali / Bangla flashcards

Picture by drcw @ Flickr

So far this year I’ve managed to be surprisingly disciplined with my Bengali study – something that usually only happens in the immediate run-up to one of our every-five-years trips to Kolkata.

One of the things I’ve found particularly helpful for is an iPhone app I’ve dabbled with before.

It’s not, sadly, a really great mobile app for learning Bengali, though I suppose Duolingo for Bengali may one day be available and that could fit the bill.

Bengali vocabulary – politics words

It’s a subject that features on most news broadcasts, but it’s particularly timely given the snap general election that was called earlier this week here in the UK.

I’ve come across many of these words before on the daily news (in Bengali) podcast from Japan’s NHK state media. (And perhaps we should pause for a minute to consider how cool it is that NHK puts out the news in Bengali.)

Weather words and phrases in Bengali (part 1)

Monsoon in Kolkata (Flickr: Opashona)

So far I’ve only visited India in December or January, which limits the Bengali words for weather that I need when actually on holiday.

In fact, hot, cold and fog would probably cover those needs – often within the space of the same day.

Today’s the day – names of days of the week in Bengali

Days of the week, like much of my basic Bengali vocabulary, could do with a bit a bit of practice when it comes to their exact spellings.

See, I’ve been spending quite a bit of times recently working at my Quizlet Bengali flashcards and it’s become fairly apparent that while I know, for instance, that ‘tiger’ is ‘বাঘ’ I still um and ah as to whether the word begins with a ব or a ভ and if it should end with গ or ঘ.

How to count in Bengali – number chart in Bangla

Browsing for an image for a future post I once again came across this useful chart of numbers from 1-100 in Bengali on Flickr.