What Is the Best Valentine’s Day Present for a Language Lover?

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1. A personalized journal

A perfect Valentine’s Day present shoul be about celebrating love, so why not give your significant other a personalised record of your love story?

Instead of just writing down what you feel as you would in a letter, a journal allows you to get creative and include photos, personalised memes, theatre tickets, candy wrappings, and  other mementos that document your relationship. Not only will your valentine be able to look back on this special collection of memories, but they’ll also appreciate being able to appreciate everything you’ve gone through together.

Personalised journals are the perfect Valentine’s Day present for language lovers because they allow you to write down important memories and quotes in your lover’s favourite language and show them that you care about their passions. And, is there a more loving act than encouraging the person you love to explore their interests and encourage them to learn new things?

Imagine, for example, that your boyfriend or girlfriend is learning Italian. Instead of saying “I love you”, which they’ve probably heard a thousand times, you can leave little messages in Italian here and there inviting them to recall your best times together:

Questa è stata la prima volta che ci siamo incontrati, ricordi? Non avevo mai visto niente di così bello.

“This was the first time we saw each other, remember? I’ve never seen anyone that beautiful.”

By doing this, you’ll show your valentine that you care about the things they love and will make them feel extra special.

2. A bilingual book

If your boyfriend or girlfriend loves languages, that probably means they love learning in general. So, what better way to show your valentine that you recognise and appreciate their intellectual pursuits than by buying them a bilingual book?

This is a great Valentine’s Day present because it will give your valentine the chance to read a book in two languages: one language they already know and another that they’re trying to learn. This way, they’ll be able to challenge themselves by starting to read in the new language and only resort to the English version when they get stuck or are just curious about the translator’s choice of words for a specific expression.

By the end of the book, your partner will have expanded their vocabulary and understood the nuances between both tongues, allowing them to become even more fluent in the one they’re learning.

You don’t know which book to buy? Here are a couple of options:

1. Poems, by Raymond Carver: If your partner is learning Spanish, you can get them “Todos nosotros”, the Spanish-English Complete Poems by the celebrated writer Raymond Carver. This luxurious edition, published in Madrid by Anagrama, contains 181 poems translated into Spanish by the delicate hand of translator Jaime Priede.
2. Le Petit Prince: Is your Valentine crazy about the French language? Then you can never go wrong with a bilingual edition of a classic like Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This modern classic, which has been translated into over 250 languages, will make a great addition to your valentine’s library and, being such a simple and well-known story, it will allow them to understand the plot while getting used to some common French vocabulary.
3. Your valentine’s favourite book. Do you want to play it safe? Then why not get your valentine the book that they love in both the original language and their target one? Whether it’s a best-selling novel or an obscure classic, giving them a bilingual version of their favourite book (or just two volumes, one for each language) will be sure to make them fall deeper in love with you.

3. A karaoke set

Are you looking for a Valentine’s Day present that’s completely original and loads of fun?

What better way to make your valentine feel like the star of the show than by getting them a karaoke machine? This Valentine’s Day present will allow them to practise their pronunciation in any language they want while having fun with their friends. Plus, it’s always nice to sing along and remember all those songs that you once heard while holidaying in Madrid, Rome or Paris, isn’t it?

Usually, karaoke sets are made up of a microphone, a music player and speakers. But, depending on your valentine’s taste and budget, you can choose between an all-in-one machine or separate elements. No matter which option you end up choosing, your valentine will be able to learn by singing along to their favourite songs instead of just studying the language through rote memorisation or grammar exercises. Without a doubt, the perfect Valentine’s Day present for people who love to have fun.

Here are a few romantic songs to get you started:

1. Verás (Spanish version of You’ll See), by Madonna
2. Suprême (French version of Supreme), by Robbie Williams
3. Ti voglio (Italian version of Bob Dylan’s ‘I Want You’), by Nomadi

4. A language course gift voucher: the perfect Valentine’s Day present for your partner

While romantic journals, books and karaokes are excellent options, if you’re looking for the best Valentine’s Day present for your valentine, you can never go wrong with a language course gift voucher.

This present will give your valentine the chance to learn their favourite language through interactive classes and exercises that are tailored to their needs. Unlike traditional language academies, where students are forced to follow a standardised curriculum, online courses provide a much more flexible and enjoyable way to learn that is customised to help every learner reach their personal, professional or academic goals.

Imagine, for example, that your partner is preparing for the job interview of their dreams in German. During this exciting but potentially stressful time you can make it easier for them to get ready by buying them a gift voucher that covers the cost of online lessons and practice sessions with native speakers or professional instructors who are trained to help people wow headhunters with their language skills.

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At Listen & Learn, we specialize in providing customised, one-to-one language courses that help students of any level to develop their proficiency in the language they love. Contact us today and let us know how we can make learning easier for your valentine this Valentine’s Day!

We assure you this very special gift will make them smile and help them reach their language-learning goals in no time.