Foriegn Languages

[Twenty26Six]

I know some people here may have extensive knowledge of foriegn languages. Like scouse. I also know there are a few among us who are trying to pursue further undestanding of languages outside their own.

I myself am trying to learn [in my limited free-time] spanish and possibly modern arabic.

I wonder if anyone has experience with tools, classes, products which increased their understanding? Or perhaps methods which led to quicker language skills.

Maybe people could cite the languages they speak and when they may picked them up. I know we have a fairly diverse range of posters amongst us.

- Jack

[AndSomeAreAngels]

I realize I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, but immersion is by far the best way to learn a new language.

I studied two languages formally, taking German for five years in middle school/high school and Norwegian for two years in college. Then, while taking a semester off during college, I traveled throughout Mexico and C. America for four months. The amount of Spanish I learned during that trip was amazing. By the end of it I was talking about politics with locals.

I realize that it's difficult to get away for a long enough period to immerse yourself in a language/culture, but that is definitely the easiest and most fun way to do it.

Nice thread, btw.

[sarabella]

I'm familiar with Dutch, French, Italian and modern Greek and I'm an English as a foreign language teacher here in Amsterdam. I can absolutely say without a doubt that the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, like AndSomeAreAngels said. Obviously, that's not completely possible unless you're planning on moving anytime soon.

I've found that CDs and tapes give you a good start (for speaking, but not necessarily for grammar, structure or even vocabulary). I used the Pimsleur tapes to learn the basics and then moved up to studying the Living Language series - they're fabulous, but horribly expensive. I've also found that the Rosetta Stone software is very useful for learning (and remembering!) vocabulary.

That being said, if you can find a native speaker to practice with, you'll improve so much more than studying by yourself. I'm currently swapping English lessons for Italian lessons, so maybe that's something you can think about.

[AndSomeAreAngels]

Good point Sarabella, re: finding a partner to practice with. The next best thing to immersion is practicing with a native speaker.

[royalstilton]

I know some people here may have extensive knowledge of foriegn languages. Like scouse. I also know there are a few among us who are trying to pursue further undestanding of languages outside their own.

I myself am trying to learn [in my limited free-time] spanish and possibly modern arabic.

I wonder if anyone has experience with tools, classes, products which increased their understanding? Or perhaps methods which led to quicker language skills.

Maybe people could cite the languages they speak and when they may picked them up. I know we have a fairly diverse range of posters amongst us.

- Jack
---
if you want to learn arabic and spanish, i would think that you should move -- immediately -- to the south of Spain...

and to the Toffee fans in our midst...good to see your lads playing better.

i was correct about Tim Cahill, though...

[655321]

Being from Texas and California, I've picked up a fair amount of Spanish. I wouldn't be able to have a full conversation, but I can, for the most part, read billboards, menus and what not.

[royalstilton]

Being from Texas and California
---
born in an airplane???

[AndSomeAreAngels]

Being from Texas and California, I've picked up a fair amount of Spanish. I wouldn't be able to have a full conversation, but I can, for the most part, read billboards, menus and what not.
I lived in Texas for five years and now in California. Definitely lots of Latino influence in both states, which helps you learn the language a little bit.

I will say that the salsas in Texas kick a whole lot more ass than this shit I've had in Cali. :D

[655321]

I will say that the salsas in Texas kick a whole lot more ass than this shit I've had in Cali. :D


True enough on the salsa, but the taquerias in SF have unheard of salsa verde.

[quentinc]

I'm taking Spanish in school, and could probably have a rudimentary conversation, although I'm better at reading (my view is that reading is easy to pick up on, but speaking and writing, because they're spontaneous acts, are probably the skills most benefitted by immersion, simply because you're forced to think that way). And being in San Antonio doesn't hurt; there are regions here that are predominantly spanish-speaking.

I'm also teaching myself french, mainly because I'm a francophile, and am doing OK, although the pronounciation is nearly impossible. But I am comforted by the fact that French is one of the most phoenetically corrupt languages.

[usscouse]

I have a working knowlege of 78 languages. What really helped is what everyone says...immersion, immersion, immersion.



Afrikaans, bier
Albanian, birrë
Arabic, beereh (biræ)
Azerbaijani, pivo
Basque, garagardoa
Belorussian, piva
Bengali, beer
Breton, bier
Bulgarian, bira
Catalan, cervesa
Chechenian, jij
Chinese, (Mandarin) pi jiu
Croatian, pivo
Czech, pivo
Danish øl
Dutch, bier
English, beer, ale
Esperanto, biero
Estonian, õlu
Faeroese, øl, bjór
Finnish, olut, kalja
Flemish bier
French, bière
Frisian, bier
Gaelic, (Scotland) leann (lionn), beòir
Galician, (Galego) cerveja / cervexa
German, (High) Bier
German, (Low) Beer
Greek, mpíra (bira), zýthos
Hawaiian, pia
Hebrew, beera
Hindi, beer
Hungarian, sör
Icelandic, öl, bjór
Ido, biro
Indonesian, bir
Interlingua, bira
Irish, (Gaeilge) beoir
Italian, birra
Japanese, biiru
Korean, mek-ju
Kurdish, bîre
Lappish, (Sámi) vuola
Latin, cerevisia, cervisia
Latvian, alus
Lithuanian, alus
Luganda, bbiya
Macedonian, pivo
Malay, bir
Manx, (Gaelg Vannin) lhune, beer
Neo, biro
Nepali, biyar, jad
Norwegian, (bm & nn) øl
Occitan, (Provencal) bièra, cervesa
Persian, (Farsi) ab'jo
Police, Motu bia
Polish, piwo
Portugese, cerveja
Quechua, sirbisa
Rheto-Rumansch biera
Romanian, bere
Russian, pivo
Serbian, pivo
Sesotho, jwala
Slovak, pivo
Slovene, pivo
Spanish, cerveza
Swahili bia, pombe
Swedish, öl
Tagalog, (Pilipino) serbesa
Thai, bia
Turkish, bira
Ukrainian, pivo
Vietnamese, bia
Volapük, bil
Welsh, cwrw
Xhosa, ibhiye
Yiddish, bir
Zulu, utshwala

[Twenty26Six]

I'm familiar with Dutch, French, Italian and modern Greek and I'm an English as a foreign language teacher here in Amsterdam. I can absolutely say without a doubt that the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, like AndSomeAreAngels said. Obviously, that's not completely possible unless you're planning on moving anytime soon.

I've found that CDs and tapes give you a good start (for speaking, but not necessarily for grammar, structure or even vocabulary). I used the Pimsleur tapes to learn the basics and then moved up to studying the Living Language series - they're fabulous, but horribly expensive. I've also found that the Rosetta Stone software is very useful for learning (and remembering!) vocabulary.

That being said, if you can find a native speaker to practice with, you'll improve so much more than studying by yourself. I'm currently swapping English lessons for Italian lessons, so maybe that's something you can think about.

I'm looking at stuff like Linguaphone, etc. Very expensive... I wonder how effective they are. My best bet would be to get files on my iPod that I can listen to trolling about campus of in the car... anyone know if they have any of these?

[sarabella]

I found tons of them on torrent - I think I got Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone from download. I also found things like Learn Italian in Your Car, Greek in 7 Days, In-Flight Dutch, etc. on mp3 (WinMX before they took it down).

[Twenty26Six]

In-Flight Dutch

I've often thought of learning dutch, but I find it very hard to hear the pronunciation.

[sarabella]

I've often thought of learning dutch, but I find it very hard to hear the pronunciation.
It's not so bad, once you learn the basics. There are a few sounds that I find really difficult to make, such as their "G" and "CH". But the rest, it's just learning how which sounds vowel groupings make. The Rosetta Stone series is pretty good for pronunciation.

I don't recommend the In-Flight series. They're much too fast to learn anything.

[usscouse]

It's not so bad, once you learn the basics. There are a few sounds that I find really difficult to make, such as their "G" and "CH". But the rest, it's just learning how which sounds vowel groupings make. The Rosetta Stone series is pretty good for pronunciation.

I don't recommend the In-Flight series. They're much too fast to learn anything.I have heard that Rosetta Stone is very good but it's best spent in front of your computer. They have voice modulation graphs that compare your pronunciation to the original when you read or copy back.

[sarabella]

I have heard that Rosetta Stone is very good but it's best spent in front of your computer. They have voice modulation graphs that compare your pronunciation to the original when you read or copy back.
It's strictly for using while at the computer - I've not found a way to take it on the road with me (via mp3 or CD or other). The Rosetta Stone has individual lessons - e.g. Dutch I has 8 lessons with 11 units each - that each concentrate on reading, listening, writing and speaking/pronunciation on a specific set of vocabulary. You just set up a microphone in front of your computer and it compares your tone and intonation with the native speaker (and surprisingly well, I might add).

Oh, and that's another thing - all of the voice recordings are by a native speaker so the pronunciation is exactly how you'd hear it on the street.

The thing I find most useful is the repetition. Each unit is small and highly repetitive, which is what works for me. I need to see/hear a new word several times and in context in order to remember it. Whenever I need to recall a word, I can literally see and hear the photo from the lesson.

[karny9]

have you thought about learning a mother language first, like Latin, and than trying the others.

I did Latin in high school, and I can pretty much understand any of the languages that descended from it (spanish, italian etc.). Its not hard to learn either, as its very basic, and there are NO exceptions. Latin is almost mathematical in a sense because its so precise, and once you learn it, everything becomes easier.

[Twenty26Six]

have you thought about learning a mother language first, like Latin, and than trying the others.

I did Latin in high school, and I can pretty much understand any of the languages that descended from it (spanish, italian etc.). Its not hard to learn either, as its very basic, and there are NO exceptions. Latin is almost mathematical in a sense because its so precise, and once you learn it, everything becomes easier.

I suppose if I had the time I would love to. I just find so much on my plate now that it is even difficult for me to find time to continue learning the spanish language.

Had I more focus or determination in my teenage years that might have been a prospect.

================

The thing I find most useful is the repetition. Each unit is small and highly repetitive, which is what works for me. I need to see/hear a new word several times and in context in order to remember it. Whenever I need to recall a word, I can literally see and hear the photo from the lesson.

Repetitiveness will help. I learn mostly through visual recognition and when I spell or recall anything it is always with a picture of the word in my mind. I often find foriegn language hard because the difficulty I have associating text without matching memory.

[High School books with words for desks, pens, pencils really isn't that memorable. :rolleyes: ]

[nicephoras]

I have a working knowlege of 78 languages. What really helped is what everyone says...immersion, immersion, immersion.

Russian, vodka


You either didn't do enough immersion in Russia, or too much.

What's interesting about immersion is that I read an article in the Economist which says that immersion gets really tough as you grow older. Older people are a lot more self conscious of making mistakes, which makes it harder for them to learn. They go for grammar first, but have a much tougher time getting a real feel for the language.
I've found a different immersion problem - most everywhere I go people know English, which means that most of my attempts in Buenos Aires to speak Spanish were responded to politely with good English.
For what its worth, I've heard good things about Pimsleur as well.