Comic to celebrate reaching the $1k milestone on my Patreon
A little story about the strange things that have been happening in my house (and mostly my room) lately. I called my little ghost Chaussette, because I can. To anyone wondering what’s true in this story: basically everything before the “possessed socks/flying around” part!
As an aspiring polyglot, it’s important that I have a bunch of resources at my disposal for language learning. I use a variety of resources for my learning, such as books, websites, apps, T.V. shows, movies, etc. These are some of my resources!
-Websites-
1. Omniglot
This website is more for finding information about languages and finding languages to learn. It has a very comprehensive list of languages and you can find plenty of secondary resources for learning the language. You can find tutors for that language, and even songs in your target language. I can just about guarantee you that no matter what language you’re looking for, it will be documented here. It is absolutely amazing, and it is a FANTASTIC resource for the dedicated linguist.
This is both a website AND an app, however, I tend to use the website more frequently, mainly because I’m always on my laptop anyway. The learning system that this website uses makes out very easy to stay motivated, and the lessons are organized amazingly. Currently, the website offers about 27 different language courses for English speakers, and various language courses for speakers of languages other than English. You can set goals for yourself, take multiple courses, be involved in discussions, and even do translating activities. Beware though, it gets VERY addicting.
Also a website AND an app, this is my all time favorite resource for learning languages. It has SO many languages to choose from, and it even offers subjects other than languages, although foreign language learning is its primary appeal factor.
Although this sector of BBC has been archived and is no longer updated, it still contains some valuable information. It includes some useful phrases, alphabet guides, and jokes in many languages. You’re bound to learn something new there, so check it out!
This website offers language courses constructed by the U.S. government, and relies heavily on audio-based learning. However, many of the language courses include lessons in the form of pdf. There is a very large selection of languages to choose from, so this resource is very good for getting an excellent introduction to your target language.
Claiming to be the internet’s largest collection of free public domain language learning materials, this website is a MUST for language learners. It contains the FSI courses, Peace Corps language learning materials, and the DLI (military) language courses. It also offers Skype sessions for language learners in several different languages! The main appeal of this website, however, is the Peace Corps language material archive. There are SO many different languages to choose from, and there are many ebooks and audio files to take advantage of here.
This website offers texts that translate English texts into 55 other languages. It is not a translator, it merely provides reading material in foreign languages to learners. It is a very useful website, especially for analyzing how sentences are formed in other languages.
This website is really helpful for explaining grammatical concepts and for learning general stuff about languages, such as verbs, vocabulary, nouns, adjectives, basic phrases, foods, etc. There are quite alot of languages offered on this website, so it’s a great resource!
This website is great for learning languages through a sentence based, contextual experience. It’s a bit like Duolingo in that sense, and it requires you to fill in missing words from sentences. In my opinion, it’s better for people with a background in their target language, and they offer many different options for languages. It’s also good for speakers of a native language other than English!
This is a great website for ancient language learners, and it provides resources for Egyptian, Mayan, Hittite, Latin, Old English, Etruscan, Gaulish, and several others. I have found the majority of resources that I have looked through helpful to my learning efforts. They have dictionaries, grammars, charts, and texts, and it is a very comprehensive resource.
This is a good resource for learners looking for audio files to help them practice their listening. I haven’t used it all too much, but there are many language options, so you’re bound to find a language that you find interesting on here.
This is a great resource for getting feedback on your writing in your target language. You can post things in your target language, and native speakers of that language will correct it, and you can do the same for other people! It’s very helpful, and is a great resource if you have to write in your target language often.
This website offers a few books to read in different languages and is good for comparing different languages of the same book. This makes for good practice for reading in your target language.
There are quite a few languages courses on this website, although several of them cost money. However, there are quite a few courses that are free, and are good for introducing you to your language of choice.
As mentioned above in the websites section, this app is so amazing for on-the-go language learning, as well as for subjects other than languages! It helps users memorize concepts with “meme” which are pictures that will remind you of what the word or concept means, and it’s such a unique and fun learning experience! It has the feel of using flashcards, but I just love using this app so much.
2. Duolingo
Also mentioned in the websites section, this app is great for both learning new words and reviewing words that you have either memorized or have just been exposed to. There are grammar lessons available, translation activities, groups that you can join, and Duolingo makes it fun to learn a language with it’s reward system.
3. HelloTalk
This is my absolute FAVORITE app to talk to native speakers of my target language(s). You can become language partners with people, help others with translations, video/voice call, send voice messages, and have as many partners as you want! It’s an absolutely amazing app, and I highly recommend it to everyone! Warning- If you’re a native English speaker looking for a native Chinese speaker, you will get HUNDREDS of requests. It might overwhelm you for a second.
4. TuneIn Radio
This is really great for finding stations in your target language, and it helps with practicing both comprehension of spoken language as well as introduces you to awesome music in your target language!
5. Tigercards
This app presents words in the form of lists, and gives you vocab so that you can review it. Not the best presentation of words and it doesn’t really offer a memorization technique like Memrise, but it’s still helpful!
6. Busuu
This app is a bit like Duolingo, and it offers German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, Italian, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese!
7. uTalk
This app offers so many different languages, it’s pretty incredible. There are games that you can play, phrasebooks, and several other features. The interface is also really awesome and simple, so it makes learning easier than usual. Definitely a must have.
8. Innovative Language
I haven’t used this app much, but I have heard that the lessons on this app are very good, and you can download the lessons so that you can view them offline.
9. FlashSticks
This has been super helpful to me, in addition to the games and flashcards that it offers, it also provides an object scanner, which uses your camera to scan objects and then tells you what it’s called in your target language!
10. Mondly
This has been an awesome resource for me since it’s a bit like Duolingo, only with more unique language options. I’m currently using it to learn Hindi, however, there are tons of other language options. The interface is awesome, and I love using it.
11. MindSnacks
This company makes several different language apps, and currently I’m using the Mandarin, Japanese, and French ones. So far, I’ve really enjoyed these apps!
12. Spotify
Through Spotify’s “Word” category, there are many different playlists dedicated to language learning, such as for Arabic, Mandarin, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, and Swedish!
13. Quizlet
This is more of a diy language learning resource. It is not an inherent language learning resource, however, if you learn best through lists and/or flashcards, then this app allows you to make cards and review vocab that way! I use it all the time for exams!
14. FluentU
This is an awesome app for watching videos in your target language, and is really good for learning new words.
-Books-
1. Teach Yourself
This series offers an astounding number of languages, and I have found them to be pretty effective in helping me learn languages. I have used the Russian, Arabic, Mandarin, and Irish ones.
2. Barron’s Grammar and Verb books
I really like the way Barron’s does language books, so far I have used their Japanese grammar book and their Russian verbs book, and I really like the layout of them, especially the grammar book!
3. Dk Visual Bilingual Dictionaries
These are so helpful for me, I’ve been using the Mandarin and Japanese dictionaries for a long time, and they are so comprehensive and awesome!
4. Ethnologue
These aren’t language “learning” materials, but rather they help me find new languages to learn. These are more for the linguistic lovers, since they catalog almost every living language in the world in every country, and provide language maps and statistics. There’s really fascinating stuff in those books, so I highly recommend purchasing them.
5. The “Dirty” books
So far, I have only used the Japanese version, however, I really like what the book includes, and it’s great for learning slang in your target language, and things that traditional textbooks wouldn’t teach you.
6. Living Language
I LOVE these books so much, I’ve used the Russian, Mandarin, and French ones and I’ve found them very helpful! The layout of these are very nice, and they’re pretty comprehensive.
7. Tuttle books
Tuttle offers several different language books, and they all are very good in my opinion. I have used their books for Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, and Hindi.
That’s all that I have right now, but if you all would like more resources than I will definitely make a second one!
Sure, I spend a good amount of time meticulously thinking about this stuff for no reason in particular. Actually, mods assorted, I have two pretty big frying fish!
NUMBER ONE) The prevalence of demon summonings!
How does that work? I can’t think of a reason it would be popular or encouraged unless demons were tiny, harmless, helpful weiners like disney fairies or didn’t immediately try to kill everyone in sight. Also, I can’t see demons themselves facilitating slavery of their race by being super compliant all the time or whatever.
Option A) Full fantasy: a sect or type of job dedicated to demon summoning. Organized, taught in special schools, summoned for errands and jobs and fighting missions. Expected from enemies, demons fight each other under command. ‘Wild demons’ roaming normally in one or two dimensions with the rest of the supernatural fauna. A totally sensible fear of demons since they are murderous and crazy and gross-looking and all. Laws against demons, circles aren’t exactly available on the internet, being caught trying to summon a demon is like a terrorist being caught buying bomb components and a ‘are you some sort of moron or are you merely crazy?!?’ attitude. ‘Either way, you are so in jail and locked up forever.’ Also, seaside fantasy markets with magical stuff being sold. MY AU PREFERENCE OF CHOICE.
Option B) Urban fantasy: Demons are not friends, they are murder monsters that people exterminate. They eat people or brains and either way are probably actually the cause of all evil and plagues and the Transcendence itself and whatever.
Option C) Fanfiction: they are routinely paired up with dangerous jobs like law enforcements or bodyguards and use their power only in a physical sense instead of a wish-granting magic way with small routine contracts and sacrifices? There are levels of demons etc. See a demon? ‘Stop drop and run away at top speed’ sort of attitude instead of incoherent terror.
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NUMBER TWO) Dipper’s character development???
Apparently allegedly in fics at some point he becomes more than ok with murder as like, a routine, casual thing? Tbh, it’s more likely to me in a canon way he’d take that memory wiping gun and start shooting people up so they forgot they ever had the idea to summon the supernatural. Or wipe their memory, or throw them into an alternate dimension, or ironically string them upside down from the empire state building or maybe make frogs come out of their mouth every time they thought naughty things or whatever.
Also, those parts where he turns into some sort of wish-granting genie that can also heal people somehow, wouldn’t that would only encourage all sorts of entitled people to summon him?! I’m surprised the AU went in the direction of Alcor, the all powerful god demon, gets summoned every other day for ice cream or something and then the other half of the time slaughters everybody in the room because they said something nasty like all people can get nasty you can’t just murder everybody you don’t like. What if they thought that was just the way you addressed demons or something but are actually do decent stuff the other half of the time? Also, that’s an awful lot of effort to go through and also it’s full on assault/murder/battery, come ON, even Bill does some more creative and interesting stuff then that. YuGiOh Volume Zero did more demon-like things then brain everybody with the demon fire murder power. WHAT IF SOMEONE WANTED TO BE CURED OF CANCER? They literally have nothing to lose etc, I mean, can he even do that? Doesn’t that obligate him to cure entire hospitals worth of people, otherwise it’s like proxy murder? World domination is great but let’s get realistic wouldn’t people summon demons more for stuff like ‘help me get revenge on this evil landlord who is milking me dry of my money and i can’t go to the police but i’m about to be homeless and dead’ kind of thing. Or ‘please, i beg you, give me talent’ or ‘give me success’ or ‘give me a hint of my future, is it worth living’ or ‘I don’t care what you take, as long as you don’t let her rapist live,’ ‘just tell me how she’s doing now before i do this ill advised thing of course a demon wont try to talk morals into me’ etc?
(the original fic i wrote i thought would be some kind of exception like in his early days he full out lost control over himself or something, and not an action he did on the regular?)
And it’s fun to write Dipper like a suave demon lord, I TOTS AGREE, but none of his components are suave or cool in the least, I mean this lil dude he thought the epitome of cool was being called Tyrone and being a respected know it all. He was also a bit paranoid, etc. Bill thought orange juice was an eye liquid or something, who knows, he liked turkeys.
The gap is large, man, is all I’m saying, and there’s barely any transition between Dipper the dweeb and Alcor the consistently murderous and it’s a bit weird.
Hopefully I can shed some light here! Mod Z at your service.
As with any large fandom, there’s going to be some disparity between canon and what fanon decides to focus on (it’s insane that this AU is even big enough to have a ‘canon’ and ‘fanon’ difference); one of the biggest issues being that people love focusing on Alcor being summoned. The sheer number of fanfics lends itself to this misunderstanding that he gets summoned every day! If I had to put a number on it, I’d say he gets summoned more like once a week, but it fluctuates often.
Same thing with summons where people end up asking him for silly things. I think this all started with Cassie (a little girl who summons Alcor to help her with math homework), and it became a trend pretty fast. But I still personally see this as a once in a blue moon kind of thing – most people know demons aren’t friendly and won’t help you out of the goodness of their heart. Whenever something like this happens, it’s more likely a huge accident (like someone stumbling across a pre-made summoning circle under specific circumstances).
Stemming from that, the ‘Cult of Dippingsauce’ was also blown out of proportion. It was originally intended to be an informal name to give the small group of friends Dipper had, but some people ran with the idea and made it an actual cult branch that could possibly hold hundreds of people. Doesn’t really coincide with canon since the number of people who know Alcor would gladly accept a candy bar in return for a small favor tends to be counted on one or two hands at any given time. Not that I’m bashing the idea at all, I think it’s cute! It’s certainly a different and fun take on it, and just because it doesn’t strictly follow AU canon doesn’t mean people should stop writing what they enjoy.
As for the huge rift in extremes with Dipper’s personality, you’re right in assuming that it doesn’t quite seem to align with his GF canon character. There’s a reason for that though – because he’s essentially part demon and part human, he often has times where he experiences being more one than the other, sometimes triggered by certain events and sometimes completely random. This is how you can sometimes have “Dipper who goes easy on a well-meaning person who summons him”, and “Alcor who disembowels a summoner without much regret”. As a demon who’s very privy to others’ emotions, he can often tell when someone is kind and desperate, or vengeful and wicked. He lets his human side take over when he’s confronted with the former, and allows himself to indulge in demonic instincts when confronted with the former.
That’s not to say he doesn’t suffer with knowing he’s taken lives. But to mentally survive, he’s more or less developed a bad habit of locking those worries away in a sort of “it’s either me or them” attitude. The longer Dipper goes without giving into darker urges, the more he craves it; holding back and letting himself take the lesser end of a deal leaves him feeling sick to varying degrees, and only makes his demon side whine more for retribution. It’s like dangling a steak in front of a wolf – the longer you make it wait, the hungrier it becomes. And he’d much rather it be a criminal than say, a family member, when he finally does bite. It’s selfish, but understandably so even from a human perspective.
This is why Dipper very quickly learns to feed that instinct whenever he comes across someone who… deserves it more than the general population. If he doesn’t indulge in his demonic instincts, he could eventually become so ravenous that he could unintentionally hurt someone innocent. It’s really a good thing that the vast majority of his summoners are pretty worthy of some backlash.
ANYWAY I’m not trying to discredit your observations (because you’re very much right, there is a common theme in most fanworks), just trying to shed some light if you’re at all confused about something. Like I said, canon and fanon tend to get mixed up fairly often!
(Oh and btw, your preferred choice for number one – the demon summonings – is actually pretty spot on! A lot of fanfics really downplay how serious demon summoning is, but it’s considered one of the most dangerous things you can do; and law across all countries really tend to reflect that)
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